Public Access and Transparency are Key to Board Meetings
- Jun 9
- 1 min read
by Trinity Gruenberg
The Wadena County Commissioners held their regular meeting on Tuesday, June 2. Commissioners Bill Stearns and Murlyn Kreklau were absent.
Meeting Space
The Wadena County Board is moving to turn its current shared courtroom/boardroom into a dedicated county board meeting space, while still allowing occasional court use.
County Administrator Colleen Winter, County Attorney Kyra Ladd, IT Coordinator Neil Hutson, and court staff reported that courts now use the room only limited times. The plan is for the county to control the room as its primary meeting space, and for the courts to bring in a mobile “plug‑and‑play” cart with their own equipment when they need it.
Board members focused on improving audio and reducing clutter. They want individual microphones at each commissioner seat, preferably wireless, so online participants can hear clearly and cords can be removed from walkways. They also discussed what to do with the existing Owl camera: options include ceiling‑mounting or replacing it with fixed wall‑mounted cameras aimed at the board and presenters.
Hutson suggested giving commissioners tablets/iPads to log in individually to virtual meetings. Some commissioners were wary of relying only on tablets and favored keeping or supplementing with fixed devices or laptops at each seat, plus spares if something is forgotten or damaged.
The board agreed the dais and basic room layout will remain the same. The TV monitors are generally adequate, though a slightly larger gallery screen may be considered later...
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