Allen v. Lakeside Neighborhood Planning Committee, 308 P.3d 956

1995: original Lakeside Neighborhood Plan adopted and Lakeside Community Council formed as advisory body.
2007 Growth Policy adopted requiring revisions to existing neighborhood plans.
Late 2007: LNPC formed to revise plan; meetings often private; password-protected Yahoo Group created.
2009: nineteen Lakeside property owners sue for open meeting violations and secret website use.
2010: Planning Board approves revised Lakeside Neighborhood Plan; County Commissioners adopt in December.
2011: District Court grants summary judgment favoring LNPC and Flathead County; open meeting and Yahoo issues addressed.

Issue	Plaintiff's Argument	Defendant's Argument	Held
Whether voiding the 2010 LNP was proper.	Allen v. LNPC: remedy lies in voiding Plan for OML violations.	LNPC not an agency; voiding not available; later meetings cured violations.	No voiding of the Plan; not an available remedy.
Whether destruction of public records claim has a remedy.	Destruction of records warrants relief voiding or other remedy.	Amended complaint did not seek specific relief; void remedy inappropriate.	District Court dismissal upheld; remedy not stated within pleading.
Whether a Yahoo Group meeting could satisfy the open meetings statute.	Electronic meetings via Yahoo Group could count as public meetings.	No quorum could convene online; technology not suitable for meetings; cautionary stance on emails.	No Yahoo Group meeting occurred; court declined to extend to electronic meetings but cautioned.

Bryan v. Yellowstone County Elementary School District No. 2, 60 P.3d 381 (2002 MT 264) (remedy may void open-meetings violations in some contexts)
Common Cause of Montana v. Statutory Committee to Nominate Candidates for Com’r of Political Practices, 868 P.2d 604 (1994 MT ?) (advisory committee remedies and open meetings implications)
Harris v. State, 368 Mont. 276 (2013 MT 16) (summary judgment standard and substantial evidence standard)