Fairhope, Alabama
(Updated Sunday @ 9AM)
PLANNING COMMISSION TOO
Mayor Kant announced recently that a joint meeting is being scheduled to provide more training for the city council and planning commission regarding state Open Meeting Act ("transparency") laws -- intended to insure the public and media full access to all government deliberations.
The state Ethics Commission (click) is now enforcing violations, which were given more "teeth" earlier in the year by the state legislature, according to the mayor.
For about the past year, various Times reporters have been documenting and reporting numerous actual/possible/probable violations by both groups and most of the city's committees, boards and authorities operating under the mayor and council: various other types of discrepancies have been noticed as well.
We are often the only news organization present to represent the public at many of the meetings.
These extra-legal practices (as well as involvement in "politics") put city employees who are required to participate in impossibly "stressful" situations at times, according to informed sources.
When more than one individual is involved in a deliberate act of this kind, federal conspiracy laws may apply as well.
(Also, anyone covered under state open meeting/ethics laws is obligated to report any violations observed to the applicable authorities: failure to do so becomes a violation in itself.)
"ALWAYS BEEN THAT" WAY DEFENSE
When asked about it, some officials concede its not proper procedure -- but justify by "it has always been done that way here" and "you are the only one complaining."
One says the laws are designed only to be a "guide" -- and are intentionally left vague by state legislators so they can find ways around them themselves.
A serious one recently was the Airport Authority's failure to hold a meeting at the appointed place and time, where strategic planning for expanding the airport was discussed -- potentially using millions of federal, state, and local tax dollars. (Official minutes of the meeting confirmed the violation.)
The Recreation Committee has been another frequent offender where significant spending on future projects is often discussed in private.
Additionally, both committees have personnel as members with conflict-of-interest issues that would normally exclude them from participating in every discussion and vote.
The Central Business District committee, a committee operating under the Planning Commission appointed to discus height and mixed-use ratio changes (commercial/residential) for downtown buildings, failed to announce all but one of its meetings over the past year or two.
Mayor Kant: "Its only going to get worse ... if we don't address it now."
(Updated Sunday @ 9AM)
PLANNING COMMISSION TOO
Mayor Kant announced recently that a joint meeting is being scheduled to provide more training for the city council and planning commission regarding state Open Meeting Act ("transparency") laws -- intended to insure the public and media full access to all government deliberations.
The state Ethics Commission (click) is now enforcing violations, which were given more "teeth" earlier in the year by the state legislature, according to the mayor.
For about the past year, various Times reporters have been documenting and reporting numerous actual/possible/probable violations by both groups and most of the city's committees, boards and authorities operating under the mayor and council: various other types of discrepancies have been noticed as well.
 |
| Airport Authority |
These extra-legal practices (as well as involvement in "politics") put city employees who are required to participate in impossibly "stressful" situations at times, according to informed sources.
When more than one individual is involved in a deliberate act of this kind, federal conspiracy laws may apply as well.
(Also, anyone covered under state open meeting/ethics laws is obligated to report any violations observed to the applicable authorities: failure to do so becomes a violation in itself.)
"ALWAYS BEEN THAT" WAY DEFENSE
 |
| Recreation Committee |
One says the laws are designed only to be a "guide" -- and are intentionally left vague by state legislators so they can find ways around them themselves.
The Recreation Committee has been another frequent offender where significant spending on future projects is often discussed in private.
 |
| part of the CBD committee |
The Central Business District committee, a committee operating under the Planning Commission appointed to discus height and mixed-use ratio changes (commercial/residential) for downtown buildings, failed to announce all but one of its meetings over the past year or two.
Mayor Kant: "Its only going to get worse ... if we don't address it now."
Comments
It must be a lack of the training.
Isn't Brewer on the recreation committee?
Additionally, some of our readers who have attended over the years say they feel "un-welcomed" there.
Meetings are held in a room that had been posted for "employees only" until recently -- when the Times' recreation reporter observed that constituted another violation of the state's open public meeting laws.