Thursday, December 11, 2014
2 PM
Board of Education Retreat-Location: Maple Room at 45 West Gude Drive, Rockville
Remember the BOE doesn't want to produce meeting minutes anymore and this meeting won't be televised. So good luck finding out what they discuss and vote on at this meeting.
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/boe/meetings/
Let the sun shine in regarding "no Agenda": Now is the time to strongly urge Delegate Susan W. Krebs (susan.krebs@house.state.md.us) to resubmit the following bill in 2015: "OPEN MEETINGS ACT – ADVANCE NOTICE OF MEETING – AGENDA Requiring a public body to include an agenda containing specified information in the advance notice of a meeting held by a specified public body." (Originially submitted in 2014.)
ReplyDeleteThe Open Meetings Law Compliance Board has opinioned:
ReplyDelete"that certain items considered during the course of retreats of the County Board were subject to the Open Meetings Act; minutes for those retreats were required. While minutes were prepared, the minutes were deficient in that they lacked the County Board's approval."
MD Open Meetings Act says:
ReplyDeleteIt is essential to the maintenance of a democratic society that, except in special & appropriate circumstances: (1) public business be performed in an open & public manner; and (2) citizens be allowed to observe: (i) the performance of public officials; and (ii) the deliberations and decisions that the making of public policy involves. (b) (1) The ability of the public, its representatives, & the media to attend, report on, & broadcast meetings of public bodies & to witness the phases of the deliberation, policy formation, & decision making of public bodies ensures the accountability of government to the citizens of the State.
(2) The conduct of public business in open meetings increases the faith of the public in government and enhances the effectiveness of the public in fulfilling its role in a democratic society.