{"id":1578,"date":"2020-10-14T19:42:47","date_gmt":"2020-10-14T23:42:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/norwichobserver.com\/?p=1578"},"modified":"2020-10-14T19:44:54","modified_gmt":"2020-10-14T23:44:54","slug":"why-is-the-planning-commission-going-into-executive-session-to-discuss-the-open-meeting-law","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/norwichobserver.com\/index.php\/2020\/10\/14\/why-is-the-planning-commission-going-into-executive-session-to-discuss-the-open-meeting-law\/","title":{"rendered":"Why is the Planning Commission going into executive session to discuss the Open Meeting Law?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

My listserv post from earlier today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Planning Commission is holding a special meeting on Friday to discuss a claim by three residents that the Planning Commission violated the Open Meeting Law (OML) in formulating the Town Plan. As I understand the allegation, working groups used by the PC to formulate the Town Plan did not attempt to comply with the OML.<\/p>

The special meeting agenda suggests that this discussion will be held behind closed doors in executive session, rather than in public session.<\/p>

The question is why not discuss the topic in public? Why should any discussion about the Open Meeting Law, or whether it applies, be held in secret?<\/p>

Here, the Planning Commission is relying on the statutory exemption that \u201cpremature general public knowledge\u201d would \u201cclearly\u201d place the Planning Commission at a \u201csubstantial disadvantage.\u201d 1 V.S.A \u00a7 313 (a)(1). If the topic is the OML, where is the \u201csubstantial disadvantage\u201d that is \u201cclearly\u201d suffered by the PC if the public gets \u201cpremature\u201d knowledge? The Open Meeting Law is to protect the public, not to protect the Planning Commission from the public.<\/p>

Moreover, the Planning Commission is not required to go into executive session even if the statute is satisfied. Executive session is an option not an obligation.<\/p>

The PC agenda suggests it will be receiving \u201cconfidential attorney-client communications\u201d from Town Counsel and hence the PC can go into executive session  under 1 V.S.A \u00a7 313 (a)(1)(F).  Nevertheless, the PC must still satisfy the precursor that \u201cpremature general public knowledge would clearly place the public body or a person involved at a substantial disadvantage.\u201d With respect to discussions about the Town Plan and the Open Meeting Law, how can public knowledge of Town Counsel\u2019s views be a bad thing?<\/p>

Note that the claim of an Open Meeting Law violation is not new. Apparently, Jeff Goodrich of the PC raised the OML issue during the Town Plan process. If so, perhaps Town Counsel should have been brought in sooner rather than later.<\/p>

There seems to be three substantive issues here. First, did the Town Plan working groups need to comply with the OML?  Second, if so, what needs to be done to cure the violation of the OML? Third, if a cure is not feasible, is the Town Plan void or voidable? Discussion of all of these issues deserve a public airing, I believe, not one behind closed doors.<\/p>

Links:<\/p>

PC Agenda  http:\/\/norwich.vt.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/PC-Agenda-2020-10_16-Special.pdf<\/a><\/p>

1 V.S.A \u00a7 313 https:\/\/legislature.vermont.gov\/statutes\/section\/01\/005\/00313<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My listserv post from earlier today. The Planning Commission is holding a special meeting on Friday to discuss a claim by three residents that the Planning Commission violated the Open Meeting Law (OML) in formulating the Town Plan. As I understand the allegation, working groups used by the PC to formulate the Town Plan did not attempt to comply with the OML. The special meeting agenda suggests that this discussion will be held behind closed doors in executive session, rather Continue reading Why is the Planning Commission going into executive session to discuss the Open Meeting Law?<\/span>→<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,3],"tags":[42],"class_list":["post-1578","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-open-meeting-law","category-planning-commission","tag-norwich-vt"],"yoast_head":"\nWhy is the Planning Commission going into executive session to discuss the Open Meeting Law? - Norwich Observer<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/norwichobserver.com\/index.php\/2020\/10\/14\/why-is-the-planning-commission-going-into-executive-session-to-discuss-the-open-meeting-law\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why is the Planning Commission going into executive session to discuss the Open Meeting Law? - Norwich Observer\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"My listserv post from earlier today. 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