STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo.—The Steamboat Springs school board will pay $50,000 to cover a newspaper’s attorneys fees in a lawsuit over a closed-door meeting held by the previous board in January 2007.
The board voted 4-1 Monday to accept the settlement offer from the Steamboat Pilot & Today. It also will turn over the transcripts from the closed-door meeting.
The decision follows a March 26 ruling by the Colorado Court of Appeals that the previous school board didn’t adequately specify the reason for meeting in executive session on Jan. 8, 2007, and failed to announce its intention to confer with its attorney during the meeting.
Both actions violated the provisions of Colorado’s open meetings law.
The school board also owes about $40,000 to its own attorney.
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Information from: Steamboat Pilot & Today,
