Opinion ID: 1891644
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Ex parte communications between the attorney for Froedtert Malt and the Board of County Commissioners:

Text: On cross-examination, the attorney was asked whether he had ever had occasion to contact the Board of County Commissioners outside of its meeting with respect to the requested tax exemption, and he replied that he had, probably a dozen times. On examination by the State's Attorney, he stated that his contacts were for the purpose of finding out when the Board would act on the application. Such an inquiry would not violate the open-meetings law. That law requires that meetings be open, but it does not forbid inquiry of one board member as to when the Board will meet or act on any particular matter. In the absence of further proof as to the subject matter of contacts with individual board members other than at open meetings, we are not disposed to hold that due process has been violated by such inquiries or that the open-meetings statute has been violated.