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Groton Daily Independent
Friday, Oct. 27, 2017 ~ Vol. 25 - No. 110 ~ 22 of 48
ineffective?
What would override openness?
We already know what imsy rationale in law allows public bodies to go behind closed doors in executive
session: to discuss personnel, discipline of a student, pending litigation or contractual matters, preparing for contract negotiations, and competitive reasons for businesses.
And we know how almost any topic can t into one of those broad categories.
If a public body goes into executive session to talk “personnel,” and they discuss phone records or tran- scripts, would those documents then get locked away? Calendars, datebooks, emails?
In response to the idea of legislative action on open records, Gov. Dennis Daugaard, through his chief of staff Tony Venhuizen, said that “He believes that a person who is in the shbowl acts differently, and the apparent transparency is not genuine,” according to the Associated Press.
That’s not a bad thing. If there is behavior or process going on in Pierre that would disappear if of cials knew they were always on the record, then maybe those folks should act differently.
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Madison Daily Leader, Madison, Oct. 25
Combining regulations is best for drone use
The rapidly-growing use of drones in the United States is causing all levels of government to scramble
to establish rules of use.
Drones are unmanned aircraft, sometimes as small as a lightweight toy, or as large as a military weapon
used in overseas battles. The electronic technology has advanced quickly, while the cost has dropped dramatically.
In South Dakota and Lake County, drones are used in agricultural applications, aerial photography, law enforcement, education, entertainment and more. Some companies are testing package delivery by drones. Safety and privacy issues are the top concerns of citizens, public of cials and agencies. Yet we can imagine the confusion and noncompliance if every state, county and city created its own regulations, on
top of Federal Aviation Administration rules.
So we were glad to see there could soon be some coordination among all these entities when rules are
established. The federal Of ce of Science and Technology Policy is working to link FAA rules with city, county and state requirements. Currently, the FAA has full authority over airspace at any altitude, although most everyone agrees a one-size- ts-all policy is not appropriate.
Ultimately, experts expect there to be ve to 10 “model” regulatory outlines that could be adopted by local governments. They all would have approval of the FAA and be designed to prevent collisions among drones, manned aircraft, tall structures, power lines and so on. Two accidents have occurred in the last month between a drone and a manned aircraft, one in New York and one near Quebec City in eastern Canada. There were no injuries in either accident.
We’re glad to see coordination among rulemakers, and we urge them to adopt and communicate rules quickly to protect public safety.
Kentucky engineer picked to head surface mining agency By DYLAN LOVAN, Associated Press
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The Trump administration has nominated the head of a Kentucky engineering rm to run the federal agency that regulates and cleans up former surface mines.
Steve Gardner, president and chief executive of cer of Lexington consulting and engineering rm ECSI, has been nominated for the top job at the Interior Department’s Of ce of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement.
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said in a release that Gardner is “highly regarded in the mining industry for his extensive experience and insight.”
“Steve will help Interior take the proper steps forward to ensure American energy dominance is achieved, while also being a responsible steward of American lands,” Zinke said Thursday.