Land services will control packet distribution and route public data requests through office, staff says

Land services staff told the Morrison County Planning Commission on March 3 that meeting packets and data requests will be funneled through the Land Services office to ensure members receive information first and to manage public data‑request workflows.

Amy said staff will limit the initial packet distribution to the county board and the PCBOA list so commissioners can review materials before the public, and that if members receive outside requests they should direct requesters to Land Services. She said some data requests require time and reformatting and may incur fees under the county’s data‑request policy, and that staff must also screen for privileged or attorney‑client material.

The guidance is intended to prevent commissioners from being caught off guard by public inquiries and to ensure consistent, legally compliant handling of data requests: “Sometimes there are things that are data private or privileged...we need to make sure that’s not going out,” Amy said. She asked commissioners to forward any requests they receive to Land Services so staff can manage responses.

Commissioners discussed the process briefly and were told they may still request packets through regular channels, but that the distribution list for early access will be narrowed to give officials time to digest materials before broader release.