Duluth pulls curtains on council emails, citing privacy concerns

DULUTH — A change in the way the city handles council emails has fueled recent debate.

Until recently, emails sent to the whole Duluth City Council were routinely made public to any media outlet or individual who requested to be copied on those communications.

Duluth City Administrator Matt Staehling did not mince words in his assessment of the practice.

“It was stupid,” he said, noting that he knows of no other Minnesota city that forwarded council emails as readily as Duluth.

Staehling contends communications between constituents and their city councilors should be treated as confidential, as they are now being handled, beginning with a Sept. 12 announcement.

Staehling said he’s not aware of any other Minnesota city that routinely forwards council emails to the media or other inte