As I’ve explained before the Taxpayer’s suit against the District and JCI made an additional motion to request that Duluth School Board members pay punitive damages for authorizing unlawful expenditures. Rather than dismissing this complaint the Court will consider it at the May 22nd Court hearing.
One of our LDV people asked if I’d seen this portion of the Minnesota Department of Education’s guidebook on school construction. It seems to quote state law and you should note the very last sentence which I’ve bolded.
(c) Compliance Responsibilities
Decisions on school construction projects in Minnesota are a local school district and state matter, and there have been and are laws, rules, codes, standards, and guidelines governing the school construction process that go back to the 1800’s. Similarly, there are laws, rules, codes, standards, and guidelines governing the construction of homes and commercial buildings, health hospital and nursing home practices, food preparation in restaurants, purification of water, road improvements, and practices by doctors, lawyers, government agencies, and businesses. In planning, developing, and implementing school construction projects, school districts must comply with a complex variety of state, federal, and local laws, rules, and codes. It is very important that school boards employ licensed, knowledgeable, and competent persons (administrators, architects, engineers, contractors and construction managers, fiscal consultants, attorneys) to represent the school district throughout this process. The highlights of many of the laws, rules, and codes that school districts must comply with are discussed throughout this Guide. Responsible persons representing the school district must further consult building code, fire safety, indoor air quality, and other laws, rules, ordinances, and codes as appropriate. In proceeding with school construction projects, school board members must be aware of the responsibility they have to make sure that all the orders that they sign are legal; i.e., comply with all laws, rules, and codes affecting school construction projects. The drawing of an illegal order subjects school board members to legal action by an eligible voter and possible monetary damages (M.S. 123B.17).
Source:
MINNESOTA STATUTES SUBDIVISIONS
123B.17
