In response to a question cast by some citizens about the validity of a previous county board meeting, Freeborn County Commissioners reaffirmed previous decisions they made. Commissioner Dan Belshan tried to revisit each item individually and review the decision, but the commissioners chose to endorse the decisions as a whole in one vote.

The State Department of Administration recommended to County Attorney Craig Nelson that the board should reaffirm six resolutions and motions from the March 4 meeting entered by Commissioner Dave Mullenbach, who participated in the meeting through a conference call from Arizona.

The citizen group, Eye on Freeborn County, alleged the use of the conference call violated the state’s Open Meeting Law, and the decisions made were null and void.

The items under fire included a resolution to increase the 2003 salary for Nelson from the original $72,064 to $79,728. The adjustment was based on the range indicated by a court, which decided on a lawsuit filed by Nelson petitioning for higher wages.

Belshan asked the board to revisit the items individually instead of all together as Mullenbach proposed at the beginning, hoping to have discussions again.

Though the board agreed with Belshan, actual review did not take place because chairman Mark Behrends pointed out a rule that revisiting a decision already made needs a motion by a member of the majority in the original vote.

For the Nelson’s salary issue, Belshan was the only one who had opposed in the previous meeting. His request to discuss the issue again was declined, and no other commissioners moved to initiate the review.

Consequently, the board went back to the idea to reaffirm the six items all together.

&uot;I should have been able to make the motion,&uot; Belshan said. Belshan considers the original motions by Mullenbach by phone invalid, and the board should not be bound to them.