The minutes were from the Canvassing Board meeting of April 11, 2006, which certified the results of a disputed city election held that day.

The Alachua City Commission approved the minutes as a consent agenda item during a May 15, 2006, meeting, without making their contents available to the public.

Grapski and Canney filed a records request for a copy of the minutes before the vote to approve them occurred, but, according to the opinion from the 1st District Court of Appeals, Deputy City Clerk Alan Henderson denied the request, saying the minutes would be made available after their approval.

The city eventually provided the minutes "many months later," and a trial court ruled the case against Alachua was moot because the public records request had eventually been met before the filing of the lawsuit.

The appeals court disagreed.

"Under the present facts, the city's denial not only breached the duty to provide such records at a reasonable time and under reasonable conditions, but also contravened the purpose and mandate of the public records law," the opinion stated.

The appeals court voided the city's 2006 approval of the minutes and ordered Alachua to pay a "reasonable" amount for Grapski and Canney's attorney's fees, with the trial court determining the amount owed at a future date.

Read the complete story at gainesville.com