Jan. 20—GRAND FORKS — The average Grand Forks council member missed six of the council’s 53 meetings in 2023.

According to the council’s 2023 records, there were 23 meetings last year where the entire council was present, whether that was physically in the chamber or appearing virtually when a quorum was being determined. Only six meetings were held where the entire City Council was physically together in the same room.

The longest stretch the Grand Forks City Council went without entirely being in the same place for a meeting was a period between the end of February and the beginning of June, and again from the beginning of July to mid-October, when the council went 13 regular meetings without all members being together in the same place.

“All of us have lots of things going on in our professional careers that cause us to be on the road, and so being able to come in virtually is easier,” Grand Forks Council President Dana Sande said. “I used to Skype-in for meeting back what Skype was a thing. … I think people overwhelmingly are doing a pretty good job.”

For most of 2023, the Grand Forks City Council met in the HIVE as the council’s usual meeting space in City Hall was being renovated.

The renovations improved the audio and visual capabilities of the space

and completely reconfigured the chamber.

The average Grand Fork City Council member had an 89% attendance rate. The best attendance was Council member Rebecca Osowski at a 96% attendance rate. Four other council members had an over 90% attendance rate: Bret Weber, Tricia Lunski, Dana Sande, and Ken Vein. Council member Danny Weigel has an 89% attendance rate. Of those, Osowski and Lunski attended most meetings in person.

Council member Kyle Kvamme had the lowest attendance rate, at 75%. He missed 13 meetings throughout the year.

Of 62 meetings held in East Grand Forks, the entire City Council was present for 50 meetings throughout the year, physically or virtually. There were 47 meetings when the entire council was physically present. The average council member missed two meetings.

The average East Grand Forks council member had a 97% attendance rate. There was a four-way tie for best attendance, at 100%: Clarence Vetter, Ben Pokrzywinski, Tim Riopelle and Mark Olstad.

Council member Brian Larson had the lowest attendance rate, at 92%. Larson was gone for three days, but the council held two meetings on July 5 and two on July 11, and he missed one in October for the sugar beet harvest.

“We’ve had pretty good attendance. We still have the ability to attend via Zoom, and I did at the last meeting (of 2023), but since I’ve been on the council we’ve had pretty good attendance the last 10 years,” said Olstad, the East Grand Forks City Council president. “I try to make sure I’m here; it’s something I take pride in.”

Minnesota and North Dakota have different requirements for public meetings and how they can occur. In North Dakota, one or more of the members of a governing body can attend virtually so long as everyone can participate and hear each other.

In Minnesota, six requirements are to be met for the use of virtual technology.

* At least one member has to be physically present in the regular meeting location.

* All members must be able to hear and see each other and the proceedings at the meeting location.

* All members of the public must be able to hear and see the discussion, testimony and votes of members.

* All votes are to be conducted by roll call.

* Each location at which a member is present must be open and accessible. In Minnesota statute, if a member is serving in the military or advised by their health care provider against being in public, the open meeting criteria are still met, so long as it only happens three times per member in one calendar year.

* The meeting minutes have to denote members who appeared virtually and also must state the reason.

Additionally, a notice needs to be provided of members appearing virtually and the location in which they’re doing so.

There is no requirement in North Dakota Century Code for public notice of how a council member will attend a meeting nor a requirement for how a council member attended their meeting in the meeting minutes.