Lakeland Residents Call On Mayor To Reopen City Hall

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A small Minnesota city has a lot of drama surrounding access to its City Hall.

Mayor Richard Glasgow said he locked the doors to City Hall Tuesday evening because the clerk quit and no employees work there anymore. But City Council members say they should have access to the public service building.

"We weren't barring anyone from coming in, there's just no one to do any business," Mayor Glasgow said.

"I think the city council should be able to access its own building," councilmember Joe Paiement said.

The City Attorney posted a notice outside City Hall to hold an emergency meeting Friday to discuss an interim city clerk and the access to city buildings.

The Mayor says the notice was not properly posted in time or inside a lockbox and therefore the building should not be reopened for a special meeting.

"When we post something it has to go inside [the lockbox] and the one down at Lakeland Village and then we also post on our website," the mayor said.

The access debate comes after the city council voted to get rid of the mayor's personal access to security cameras in three city buildings that Glasgow said he could view on his phone.

Councilmembers said if they don't have access for an emergency meeting Friday, they may have to wait to discuss the issues until a regular city council meeting.

"I do think he's trying to exercise too much control," Paiement said.

The Mayor said he would reopen City Hall once they can find a new city clerk. The regularly scheduled city council meeting is on Tuesday.