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About Search Results
The advisory opinion library currently includes:
- Data practices advisory opinions issued by the Commissioner of Administration from 1993 to the present.
- Open Meeting Law advisory opinions issued by the Commissioner of Administration from 2003 to the present.
The Commissioner's authority is found in Minnesota Statutes, section 13.072. Opinions are nonbinding, but a court may give them deference in a court action. Parties to a court action that act in conformity with an advisory opinion are not liable for certain damages or attorneys fees.
A written, numbered, and published opinion issued by the attorney general shall take precedence over an advisory opinion issued by the Commissioner of Administration.
Results 1 - 10 of 10
Advisory Opinion 19-013
November 27, 2019; Rice County
This is an opinion of the Commissioner of Administration issued pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, section 13.072 (2018). It is based on the facts and information ...
Description: a data requester asked if a County had responded appropriately to two requests she made for public data. The Commissioner opined that the County responded appropriately to a request for public comments when it emailed the requester a link to the comments, which the requester had previously said would be acceptable. The County did not respond appropriately to a draft spreadsheet when it did not respond to the request promptly and appropriately, did not provide the data in the format in which it was maintained, and failed to assess a reasonable, actual copy cost; the county quoted five different costs and used two different pay scales to calculate costs.
Category: Response to data requests, Requests for data, Copy costs
Keywords: Response to data requests, Requests for data, Copy costs, Copy costs, Timeliness of response to public - prompt, reasonable time (13.03, subd. 2), (1205.0300), To responsible authority or designated person, required, Actual cost - public, Costs, Data access policy, Data does not exist, Data do not exist, Data request policy, Data requests, Designee, Government data
Commissioner: Alice Roberts-Davis
Advisory Opinion 05-010
March 7, 2005; City of Greenwood
This is an opinion of the Commissioner of Administration issued pursuant to section 13.072 of Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 13 - the Minnesota Government Data ...
Description: Is the City of Greenwood in compliance with Minnesota Statutes, section 13.02, subdivision 16, and Minnesota Rules, part 1205.0200, subpart 14, (B) regarding the appointment of a responsible authority?
Is the City of Greenwood in compliance with Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 13, in its response to a November 14, 2004, request to inspect public data related to the construction of a fence?
Category: Requests for data, Responsible authority
Keywords: Requests for data, Responsible authority, To responsible authority or designated person, required, Name, title, and address
Commissioner: Dana B. Badgerow
Advisory Opinion 01-096
December 18, 2001; Blue Earth County
This is an opinion of the Commissioner of Administration issued pursuant to section 13.072 of Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 13 - the Minnesota Government Data ...
Description: Pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 13, did the Blue Earth County Medical Examiner respond appropriately to requests for access to public government data?
Category: Requests for data, Responsible authority
Keywords: Requests for data, Responsible authority, Medical examiner data, 13.83, Coroner data, To responsible authority or designated person, required, Responsible authority (RA)
Commissioner: David F. Fisher
Advisory Opinion 01-074
September 18, 2001; City of Burnsville
This is an opinion of the Commissioner of Administration issued pursuant to section 13.072 of Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 13 - the Minnesota Government Data ...
Description: Pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 13, did the City of Burnsville improperly deny access to police reports containing public data, i.e., arrest data, request for service data and response or incident data?
Pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 13, did the City of Burnsville fail to comply with its responsibility to provide written notice that a request for public data was denied and the City's legal basis for that decision?
Category: Legislative authority and intent, Requests for data
Keywords: Legislative authority and intent, Requests for data, Law enforcement data, Law enforcement data, To responsible authority or designated person, required
Commissioner: David F. Fisher
Advisory Opinion 01-057
July 11, 2001; City of Vadnais Heights
This is an opinion of the Commissioner of Administration issued pursuant to section 13.072 of Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 13 - the Minnesota Government Data ...
Description: Pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 13, has the City of Vadnais Heights responded appropriately to a request for the following data: 1) complaint/discipline data made against the City's Public Works Director by a particular person; and 2) the audits of the City for the past ten years?
Category: Requests for data
Keywords: Requests for data, To responsible authority or designated person, required
Commissioner: David F. Fisher
Advisory Opinion 01-013
January 16, 2001; Minnesota Department of Employee Relations
This is an opinion of the Commissioner of Administration issued pursuant to section 13.072 of Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 13 - the Minnesota Government Data ...
Description: Pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, section 13.05, subdivision 12, is it appropriate for the Minnesota Department of Employee Relations to ask a data requestor to identify him/herself and to justify the request?
Category: Requests for data
Keywords: Requests for data, Reason/justify request and identity not required (13.05, subd. 12), To responsible authority or designated person, required, Written requests, procedures may require
Commissioner: David F. Fisher
Advisory Opinion 01-007
January 12, 2001; Minnesota Department of Human Services
This is an opinion of the Commissioner of Administration issued pursuant to section 13.072 of Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 13 - the Minnesota Government Data ...
Description: Pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, section 13.05, subdivision 12, is it appropriate for the Minnesota Department of Human Services to ask a data requestor to identify him/herself and to justify the request?
Category: Requests for data
Keywords: Requests for data, To responsible authority or designated person, required
Commissioner: David F. Fisher
Advisory Opinion 00-034
August 15, 2000; Blue Earth County
This is an opinion of the Commissioner of Administration issued pursuant to section 13.072 of Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 13 - the Minnesota Government Data ...
Description: Pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 13, did Blue Earth County respond appropriately to a request to gain access to two books prepared by the following land viewers: W.A. Frederickson and Bert Hanson?
Category: Requests for data
Keywords: Requests for data, To responsible authority or designated person, required
Commissioner: David F. Fisher
Advisory Opinion 98-025
May 15, 1998; School District 709 (Duluth)
This is an opinion of the Commissioner of Administration issued pursuant to section 13.072 of Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 13 - the Minnesota Government Data ...
Description: Pursuant to Minnesota Statutes Section 13.04, were C's rights violated if School District 709, Duluth, did not provide a timely response to data requested by C in his/her February 11, 1997, letter?
Pursuant to Minnesota Statutes Section 13.04, were C's rights violated if School District 709, Duluth, did not provide a timely response to data requested by Mr. Nickitas in his September 5, 1997, letter?
Pursuant to Minnesota Statutes Section 13.04, were C's rights violated if School District 709, Duluth, did not fully comply with data requested by C in his/her February 11, 1997, letter, i.e., a June 19, 1996, letter written by "Mr. Bye" and a letter "of apology?"
Category: Requests for data
Keywords: Requests for data, Location of data, To responsible authority or designated person, required
Commissioner: Elaine S. Hansen
Advisory Opinion 96-051
December 2, 1996; City of Elk River
This is an opinion of the Commissioner of Administration issued pursuant to section 13.072 of Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 13 - the Minnesota Government Data ...
Description: Has the City of Elk River complied with the requirements of Minnesota Statutes Section 13.04, subdivision 3, regarding access to data by a data subject?
Is the City's photocopy charge to a data subject of $5.00 for the first page, and $.25 for each page thereafter, allowable under Minnesota Statutes Chapter 13?
Category: Copy costs, Requests for data
Keywords: Copy costs, Requests for data, Employee wage/labor cost, Data subject rights of access procedures (13.05, subd. 8)/(13.025, subd. 3), To responsible authority or designated person, required
Commissioner: Elaine S. Hansen