While the law can sometimes be tricky to understand, the message is clear: Public boards and officials need to do their business in an open setting. Unfortunately, some board members don’t always get that message.
Recently, two public boards discussed business matters in private, both via emails.
An online service is needed to view this article in its entirety.
You need an online service to view this article in its entirety.
Choose an online service.
Current print subscribers
Need an account? Create one now.
kAmu:CDE[ D@>6 >6>36CD @7 E96 !6E@D<6J s@H?E@H? |2?286>6?E q@2C5 5:D4FDD65 9@H E@ 25@AE 2 HC:EE6? C6DA@?D6 E@ 2 >6C492?E 8C@FA’D AC@A@D2=D 7@C 5@H?E@H? 367@C6 E96J G@E65 @? E96 :DDF6 5FC:?8 E96:C AF3=:4 >66E:?8] q@2C5 >6>36CD BF6DE:@?65 23@FE E96 :?4:56?E D2J E96J 5:5?’E 5@ 2?JE9:?8 @FED:56 @7 E96 =2H]k^Am
kAm$64@?5[ E9C@F89 96C uC665@> @7 x?7@C>2E:@? p4E C6BF6DED[ r9C:DE:?2 t2?6D[ 2 r92C=6G@:I }@CE9H6DE p4256>J E62496C H9@ H2D 7:C65 :? u63CF2CJ[ @3E2:?65 2 D6C:6D @7 6>2:= 6I492?86D 36EH66? 3@2C5 >6>36CD E92E F?4@G6C65 2? @?8@:?8[ AC:G2E6 5:D4FDD:@? 2>@?8 E96 ECFDE66D 23@FE 96C 6>A=@J>6?E AC:@C E@ 2?5 27E6C E96 >66E:?8 :? H9:49 D96 H2D E6C>:?2E65]k^Am
kAmt2?6D C646?E=J 7:=65 2 =2HDF:E 282:?DE E96 492CE6C D49@@=’D 3@2C5 @7 ECFDE66D[ 2==68:?8 2 D6C:6D @7 |:49:82? ~A6? |66E:?8D p4E G:@=2E:@?D =625:?8 FA E@ 2?5 7@==@H:?8 96C 7:C:?8 :? u63CF2CJ] %96 =2HDF:E DA64:7:42==J 2==686D 7:G6 G:@=2E:@?D @7 E96 24E[ 2>@?8 E96 49:67 4@>A=2:?E 36:?8 E96 3@2C5’D 564:D:@? E@ 4=@D6 E96 >66E:?8 E@ E96 AF3=:4 6G6? E9@F89 t2?6D C6BF6DE65 >6>36CD 5:D4FDD E96 >2EE6C :? @A6? D6DD:@?]k^Am
kAm%9C@F89 E96 6>2:=D @3E2:?65 G:2 E96 uC665@> @7 x?7@C>2E:@? p4E[ :E D66>D 4=62C E92E D@>6 D49@@= 3@2C5 >6>36CD[ 2=@?8 H:E9 E96 D49@@=’D E96? 25>:?:DEC2E@C[ 5:5 :? 724E G:@=2E6 E96 ~A6? |66E:?8D p4E 3J 5:D4FDD:?8 t2?6D’ 6>A=@J>6?E @FE @7 E96 AF3=:4’D 6J6] p?5 E96J 5:5 D@ H:E9 <?@H=6586 E96J H6C6 24E:?8 :? E96 HC@?8]k^Am
kAmr@>>6?ED >256 36EH66? 3@2C5 ECFDE66D 2?5 E96 25>:?:DEC2E@C :?4=F56[ “(:E9 2== E96 A=2J6CD[ D9@F=5 H6 82E96C 2E D@>6 D6E E:>6 7@C 2 AC6\82>6 4@?76C6?46n” “r2? H6 86E E@86E96C 42C67F==J[ @C 2D 2 4@>>:EE66n” “(6 ?665 E@ 86E E@86E96C :? D>2== 8C@FAD 2?5 E2=< E9:D @FE]”k^Am
kAm%96D6 EH@ :?DE2?46D 2C6 2 C6>:?56C E92E :7 J@F 2C6 2 AF3=:4 @77:4:2= @C 2 >6>36C @7 2 AF3=:4 3@2C5[ J@F ?665 E@ <?@H E96 =2H]k^Am
kAm%96 ~A6? |66E:?8D p4E 92D 366? :? A=246 D:?46 `hff 2:>65 2E AC@>@E:?8 @A6??6DD 2?5 244@F?E23:=:EJ :? 8@G6C?>6?E] qC@25=J[ :E AC@9:3:ED 8@G6C?>6?E 3@5:6D 7C@> >66E:?8 @C 4@>>F?:42E:?8 AC:G2E6=J E@ 5632E6 A@=:4J :DDF6D 2?5 6?DFC6D >@DE 5:D4FDD:@?D 2?5 564:D:@?D H:== 36 >256 :? >66E:?8D @A6? E@ E96 AF3=:4]k^Am
kAm(96? AF3=:4 3@5:6D 56=:36C2E6 A@DD:3=6 24E:@?D 369:?5 E96 D46?6D E9C@F89 6=64EC@?:4 4@>>F?:42E:@?D[ 2EE@C?6JD ?@E6 E92E E96 AC24E:46 42? CF? 4@?EC2CJ E@ |:49:82?’D ~A6? |66E:?8D p4E]k^Am
kAm“&?=6DD 2 3@5J >66ED :? 4=@D65 D6DD:@? F?56C E96 ~A6? |66E:?8D p4E[ E96D6 56=:36C2E:@?D 2C6 DFAA@D65 E@ E2<6 A=246 :? 2? @A6? >66E:?8[” D2:5 #@3:? {F46 w6CC>2??[ 2? 2EE@C?6J H9@ D6CG6D 2D 86?6C2= 4@F?D6= 7@C E96 |:49:82? !C6DD pDD@4:2E:@?]k^Am
kAmw6CC>2?? D2:5 56=:36C2E:@?D 42? 96=A E96 AF3=:4 F?56CDE2?5 E96 C62D@?:?8 369:?5 2 3@2C5’D 24E:@?D[ 2?5 H96? E9@D6 2C6?’E 42CC:65 @FE @A6?=J[ :E 42? >2<6 :E 92C5 7@C E96 AF3=:4 E@ <?@H :7 2 AF3=:4 3@5J :D A6C7@C>:?8 :ED 5F6 5:=:86?46]k^Am
kAm%96 |:49:82? ~A6? |66E:?8D 24E :D?’E ;FDE 7@C ;@FC?2=:DED] tG6CJ@?6 36?67:ED 7C@> @A6? 8@G6C?>6?E 2?5 EC2?DA2C6?4J =2HD >2<6 :E A@DD:3=6 7@C J@F E@ <?@H H92E 8@6D @? H:E9 J@FC 8@G6C?>6?E] %96D6 =2HD <66A E96 AF3=:4’D 3FD:?6DD AF3=:4 2?5 3C:?8 244@F?E23:=:EJ E@ E9@D6 H9@ D6CG6 FD H9:=6 6?4@FC28:?8 9@?6DEJ 2?5 5:D4@FC28:?8 4@CCFAE:@?]k^Am
kAm$92>6 @? E96D6 EH@ AF3=:4 3@2C5D 7@C 5:D4FDD:?8 3FD:?6DD 369:?5 E96 D46?6D]k^Am
kAmq@EE@> =:?6i x7 J@F D6CG6 @? 2 AF3=:4 3@2C5 2?5 J@F BF6DE:@? :7 E96 3FD:?6DD J@F’C6 4@?5F4E:?8 D9@F=5 36 5@?6 :? E96 AF3=:4[ E96 2?DH6C :D E92E :E AC@323=J D9@F=5 36]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mr=@D65 D6DD:@?Dk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmq2D65 @? |:49:82?’D ~A6? |66E:?8D p4E[ 56=:36C2E:@?D 3J 2 AF3=:4 3@5J >FDE E2<6 A=246 :? 2 D6EE:?8 2446DD:3=6 E@ E96 AF3=:4 F?=6DD E96J :?G@=G6 DA64:7:4 D:EF2E:@?D 7@C H9:49 E96 3@5J 42? 6?E6C 2 4=@D65 D6DD:@?] %96D6 :?4=F56ik^Am
kAm— !6CD@??6= >2EE6CD[ :7 C6BF6DE65 3J E96 :?5:G:5F2= :?G@=G65k^Am
kAm— $EF56?E 5:D4:A=:?6[ :7 C6BF6DE65 3J E96 DEF56?E[ @C 2 A2C6?E @C 8F2C5:2?k^Am
kAm— r@==64E:G6 32C82:?:?8 ?68@E:2E:@?D[ :7 C6BF6DE65 3J 6:E96C A2CEJ]k^Am
kAm— !FC492D6 @C =62D6 @7 C62= 6DE2E6[ FA F?E:= E96 E:>6 2? @AE:@? :D @3E2:?65 7@C E96 AFC492D6 @C =62D6k^Am
kAm— r@?DF=E2E:@? H:E9 2? 2EE@C?6J @? DA64:7:4 A6?5:?8 =:E:82E:@?k^Am
kAm— #6G:6H @7 2AA=:42E:@?D 7@C 6>A=@J>6?E @C 2AA@:?E>6?E[ H96? E96 42?5:52E6 C6BF6DED 4@?7:56?E:2=:EJ[ 3FE :?E6CG:6HD >FDE E2<6 A=246 :? @A6? >66E:?8D]k^Am
kAm— !2CE:D2? 42F4FD6D 2>@?8 DE2E6 =68:D=2E@CDk^Am
kAm— r@?D:56C2E:@? @7 >2E6C:2= 6I6>AE 7C@> 5:D4FDD:@? @C 5:D4=@DFC6 3J DE2E6 @C 7656C2= DE2EFE6] %9:D :?4=F56D >2E6C:2=D 6I6>AE F?56C E96 uC665@> @7 x?7@C>2E:@? p4E[ DF49 2D HC:EE6? @A:?:@?D 7C@> E96 3@2C5’D 2EE@C?6J]k^Am
kAm— s6A2CE>6?E @7 r@>>6C46 962=E9 4@56 4@>A=:2?46 4@?76C6?46]k^Am
kAm— r6CE2:? >66E:?8D :? 2 D62C49 7@C 2 F?:G6CD:EJ AC6D:56?E[ :7 E96 D62C49 AC@46DD >66ED DA64:7:4 4C:E6C:2 :56?E:7:65 :? E96 24E]k^Am
kAm‘~FC ':6H’ C6AC6D6?ED E96 @A:?:@? @7 E96 }6HD\#6G:6H 65:E@C:2= 3@2C5i #J2? q6?E=6J[ #2496= qC@F892>[ s@F8 r2=5H6==[ rC2:8 rFCC:6C y6C6>J |4q2:?[ $96C: |4(9:CE6C\~’s@??6==[ q236EE6 $E6?F:D $E@=K 2?5 4@>>F?:EJ >6>36C y:> q2F>2??]k^Am