We subsequently requested a copy of the minutes through Utah's Government Records Access Management Act, because the Deseret Morning News and a Salt Lake media attorney don't believe GRAMA provides protection for drafts of meeting minutes.

Provo and many other cities, school boards and other government groups provide draft minutes to reporters and the public in packets prior to meetings where those minutes are scheduled to be reviewed and approved.

Lehi recently provided draft minutes to one of our reporters with the request we clearly state in any story that the minutes were unofficial.

The city denied our GRAMA request, and we appealed to Mayor Lewis Billings. Billings denied the appeal. His main concern, he said, was protecting volunteer board members who might be made to look foolish if a draft of the minutes inaccurately portrayed what they had said in a meeting.

But Billings offered an olive branch.

Would we, he asked, be satisfied with an audio recording of the meeting? He also offered to have us meet with members of his staff about the issue.

Within days, the city provided the recording, though Billings' staff admits that Provo isn't prepared to make recordings of all meetings available quickly.

We feel the public needs access to such information in a reasonable time — days, not weeks.

And in our opinion, we — and the public we serve — are entitled under GRAMA to both the recordings and the draft minutes.

The discussion has been cordial and enlightening. We understand Billings' concern for volunteer board members. He understood our concern about the need to provide information to the public.

We discussed the use of technology to benefit the public. Could Provo put video or audio of board meetings on the Web? Could Provo use e-mail to seek preliminary approval for draft minutes from board members so they could be comfortable with their release before the next meeting?

Whatever the final resolution, it should allow more sun to shine on the efforts of Provo's government.

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Tad Walch lives with his wife and five children in Provo, their home for the past 21 years. Please e-mail twalch@desnews.com.