Thursday, January 8, 2015

Jan. 12th - Montgomery County Council Retreat

Jan 12, 2015
1:00 pm Council Retreat 
Location not noted on Agenda

5 comments:

  1. The press release at http://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/sites/CountyCouncil/News/Pages/PRINCE-GEORGES-COUNTY-COUNCIL-2015-ANNUAL-RETREAT.aspx for an "open meeting" includes "PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY COUNCIL 2015 ANNUAL RETREAT - For Immediate Release: 1/2/2015 5:00 PM
    Contact: Karen D. Campbell | 301.952.5182."

    As you can see, this press release was issued on Friday, Jan. 2, 2014 at 5 PM. Yet the so-called "open meeting" began on Monday, 05JAN15 at 9AM. Is that reasonable notice under the Open Meetings Act for a meeting that was apparently planned a long time ago in order for council members to book rooms at the hotel & conference center or did notice and openness violations of the Act happen? Pasted below is additional information from the press release:

    "The Council’s 2015 Annual Retreat is an open meeting. Click HERE for the full agenda for the 2015 Council Retreat.
    WHAT: Prince George’s County Council Annual Retreat – Legislative Year 2015
    WHO: Prince George’s County Council
    WHEN:
    Monday, January 5, 2015 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
    Tuesday, January 6, 2015 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
    WHERE: Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Hotel and Conference Center
    100 Heron Blvd.
    Cambridge, Maryland"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Open Meetings Act Manual explains why a compliance board was created under state law (http://www.oag.state.md.us/Opengov/Openmeetings/support.htm). The Preface begins:
      When the bill that later evolved into Maryland’s 1977 “Sunshine Law” was
      endorsed by the House and Senate committees, they wrote of the need to find the
      “proper balance between ... two imperatives”: “securing the public’s right to know public
      business,” and yet preserving the “confidentiality [that] is indispensable to the efficient,
      effective and fair conduct of government.” The 1977 Open Meetings Act tried to find
      that necessary balance. It represented a major advance over prior law, which essentially
      left the matter up to the agencies and therefore encouraged closed-door government.
      Then, in 1991, the Legislature returned to the issue and shifted the balance more clearly
      in favor of the public’s right to know, including an advisory process, through the Open
      Meetings Compliance Board, as an alternative to litigation. Since that time, the
      Legislature has periodically amended the Act largely in the interest of increased
      government transparency.

      Delete
  2. The State's open meeting compliance board can determine if the law was broken by county governments. Maryland open meetings law complaint procedures can be found here: http://www.oag.state.md.us/Opengov/Openmeetings/complaint.htm. Unlike going to court, fees aren't required to lodge a complaint with the compliance board.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Does the state have a compliance board for every law and regulation or groups thereof?

      Delete
    2. The Open Meetings Act Manual explains why a compliance board was created under state law (http://www.oag.state.md.us/Opengov/Openmeetings/support.htm). The Preface begins:
      When the bill that later evolved into Maryland’s 1977 “Sunshine Law” was
      endorsed by the House and Senate committees, they wrote of the need to find the
      “proper balance between ... two imperatives”: “securing the public’s right to know public
      business,” and yet preserving the “confidentiality [that] is indispensable to the efficient,
      effective and fair conduct of government.” The 1977 Open Meetings Act tried to find
      that necessary balance. It represented a major advance over prior law, which essentially
      left the matter up to the agencies and therefore encouraged closed-door government.
      Then, in 1991, the Legislature returned to the issue and shifted the balance more clearly
      in favor of the public’s right to know, including an advisory process, through the Open
      Meetings Compliance Board, as an alternative to litigation. Since that time, the
      Legislature has periodically amended the Act largely in the interest of increased
      government transparency.

      Delete

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