FORT SMITH — An Arkansas judge has dismissed a Freedom of Information Act complaint against Fort Smith's city clerk.
The Southwest Times Record reports the one-day bench trial concluded on Wednesday. Resident Jack Swink filed the complaint in July and argued City Clerk Sherri Gard violated the act by individually polling board members on an issue rather than conducting the proceedings in an open meeting.
The judge ruled that Gard's individual contact with board members outside of a public meeting does not violate state law. He found the contact with elected officials did not constitute a meeting as defined by the law.
The issue was about a three-year audit of the city's legal contract with a law firm.