Minutes often devolve into power struggles. Internally, what is and isn’t included in the minutes can reflect whose star is ascendant and whose is fading. An impassioned defense of a proposal may not make its way into the minutes, while an equally impassioned speech in support may be appear in detail. … But let’s also remember what meeting minutes really are. They are the historical record of a public body’s action. They tell the story now and 50, 100 years into the future about what decision were made and when.

Hundreds of red flag orders used in Hampton Roads // Court denies attorney fees in Augusta County closed meeting case // Governor hopeful cites ‘working papers’ to rebuff schedule request // Richmond tells WTVR free report would cost $700

Bill Riddick resigned as town attorney on Sept. 4, two days after Smithfield’s Town Council voted to authorize an external audit of his invoices. His resignation marks the latest fallout from the controversy over an increase in Riddick’s pay that town officials say they didn’t authorize. A Times investigation found Riddick had begun billing the town at $275 per hour in 2018, up 37.5% from the $200 hourly rate specified in his 2008 contract, and has billed an additional 27% higher, at $350 per hour, over the past 18 months. “It is perfectly clear to me after Tuesday’s council meeting that I can no longer represent Smithfield as its Town Attorney,” Riddick wrote in his resignation letter. “The vitriol that spilled forth made me realize that we cannot go on as before.” “The notion that I overcharged the town since 2008 is absurd and your decision to audit my billings since then is a waste of town resources,” Riddick said. “If anything, I have been under compensated as there is written proof on my 2002 evaluation form that my monthly retainer was to be increased to $1,000 per month.” The letter goes on to blame The Smithfield Times.

The reason that Albemarle County election officials pushed registrar Lauren Eddy to resign last month is that they suspect her of using county-issued purchasing cards, known as P-cards, to make private purchases including YouTube videos and car rentals. The allegations were revealed in a pair of search warrants filed Tuesday. Albemarle police detective Daniel Carroll asserted that county officials found the cards issued to Eddy had been used to watch YouTube videos and obtain the use of motor vehicles from Enterprise Rent-A-Car. “There is no legitimate business need for her to purchase a rental vehicle inside the county, as the county provides pool vehicles for employee use,” Carroll wrote in an affidavit.

Five of the six Rich Creek Town Council members have resigned, including the mayor appointed earlier this year. Mayor Anne Chambers said she resigned Aug. 18 because “the work of public service has been consistently undermined by those more focused on personal power than public good.” “Instead of collaboration and support, we’ve faced obstruction and relentless efforts to unseat or discredit those trying to serve with integrity,” her resignation letter read. “I took an oath to support the town,” council member Joyce Crawford said. “I did not take an oath to be cussed to, be made fun of, to be screamed at.”

The Richmond School Board is gearing up to conduct audits of the division, but has no internal auditors to conduct them at the moment. The Board’s former director of internal audits, Douglass Graeff, left the position in May. The reason for Graeff’s departure is unknown. Graeff told The Richmonder in an email that he cannot speak on his departure “based on my agreement with RPS.” Board Chair Shavonda Fernandez (9th District) cited RPS policy, which doesn’t allow officials to comment on personnel matters.

This is written by a company that wants governments to use their FOIA-fulfillment tools, so take it with a grain of salt, but they’re not wrong! Included in the “How to Stay Compliant” section: “Build a culture of openness: Agencies that proactively share records and communicate clearly with the public easily build trust. Celebrate transparency and compliance as a core part of your mission.”