Transparency News, 1/27/21
Wednesday
January 27, 2021
January 27, 2021
state & local news stories
“We have long held a position that we think that the review of what amounts to a chief executive officer, like superintendent or city manager or county administrator ... that should be a more public process.”
This morning, a House higher ed subcommittee advanced a watered-down version of HB 2120 that seeks to provide more information about university boards of visitors on university websites.
https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=211&typ=bil&val=hb2120
Richmond community members are divided over the length of Superintendent Jason Kamras’ contract renewal, which comes up in June. Supporters and detractors of the 2005 National Teacher of the Year are at odds over how long to extend his contract. Some cite the need for consistent leadership, while others question academic progress since Kamras began his tenure in 2018. Board members are largely declining to discuss the matter, citing a confidentiality clause in Kamras’ contract, which open government advocates say should not apply to decisions on superintendents. “We have long held a position that we think that the review of what amounts to a chief executive officer, like superintendent or city manager or county administrator ... that should be a more public process,” said Megan Rhyne, the executive director at the Virginia Coalition for Open Government. She added: “These people are making the most important decisions.”
Richmond Times-Dispatch
As a Dayton police officer patrolled a town park last year, he came upon a woman sleeping in a car during the overnight hours, a violation of town code. The officer woke the woman up and offered help finding her a place to stay for the night. Within a few days, the woman filed a complaint with Chief Jason Trout, claiming the officer was rude. Instead of a battle of he said/she said, Trout went straight to the officer’s body-worn camera — a tool he says officers should have. “They’re extremely valuable,” he said, adding that the video backed up the officer’s side of the story. “You frequently get calls from citizens with complaints. You can turn on the camera and get exactly what happened.” For Dayton, and many other law enforcement agencies, securing funding for the ever-evolving technology can be tricky.
Daily News Record
Lobby days are an important tradition in Virginia politics, when advocacy groups bring their members together at the state capitol to hold demonstrations and speak with lawmakers face-to-face. COVID-19 has changed all of that. The Virginia Citizens Defense League, a group which holds its well-known lobby day on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, organized a car rally this year instead of a more traditional one which would likely not meet Gov. Ralph Northam’s social distancing standards. Many other advocacies are choosing to take their work entirely online. Dr. James Fedderman, head of the Virginia Education Association, said “for everyone’s protection, our lobbying activities have had to go virtual this year.” He says the new way of doing business has forced VEA staff and advocates to be more intentional about being in touch with lawmakers leading up to and during session. Fedderman also thinks taking people out of the bustle of the General Assembly building is helpful in some ways. “I think that the level of conversation and engagement is more meaningful because you don’t have as many distractions,” he said. “The issues are the issues and that is the focus.”
VPM
Pound Town Council member Glenn Cantrell has been charged a second time in three months with an allegation of assault in connection with a town council meeting. Mayor Stacey Carson, in a complaint sworn before a Wise County magistrate Thursday, claimed Cantrell assaulted her during the council’s Jan. 19 meeting. In the video, Carson complained during the meeting about a removal petition filed against her in Wise County Circuit Court and signed by town residents including Cantrell and council members Danny Stanley and Phil Cantrell Jr., Glenn Cantrell’s brother. Moments later, Carson said on the video that she was working to bring “every criminal act to the forefront” before turning toward Cantrell’s seat and saying, “Glenn, I will FOIA every text message you have” — a reference to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act’s provisions allowing the public to request government officials’ phone text messages under certain circumstances.
Times News
January’s meeting of the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority Board of Commissioners opened as an opportunity to hit a reset button after acrimonious proceedings in December when it voted to continue the move toward demolition of one of its Big Six housing projects. That vote came with less than a day’s warning and two weeks before a new law would have mandated a year’s notice. Within half an hour of the board’s Jan. 20 meeting, held over Zoom, the public comment period made clear that a new board would face the same calls for transparency that it has dodged for years.The board has moved toward universally observing a once-every-three-months limit on individual speakers. Legal Aid Justice Center community organizer Omari Al-Qadaffi spoke in December about the lack of public notice related to RRHA’s moving ahead to demolish Creighton Court in favor of a voucher-based, privately owned development that may push out some residents. Although barred from speaking at January’s meeting, he remains concerned that the December vote was timed to escape a law that took effect in January that would have required a yearlong notice period.
Style Weekly
https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=211&typ=bil&val=hb2120
Richmond community members are divided over the length of Superintendent Jason Kamras’ contract renewal, which comes up in June. Supporters and detractors of the 2005 National Teacher of the Year are at odds over how long to extend his contract. Some cite the need for consistent leadership, while others question academic progress since Kamras began his tenure in 2018. Board members are largely declining to discuss the matter, citing a confidentiality clause in Kamras’ contract, which open government advocates say should not apply to decisions on superintendents. “We have long held a position that we think that the review of what amounts to a chief executive officer, like superintendent or city manager or county administrator ... that should be a more public process,” said Megan Rhyne, the executive director at the Virginia Coalition for Open Government. She added: “These people are making the most important decisions.”
Richmond Times-Dispatch
As a Dayton police officer patrolled a town park last year, he came upon a woman sleeping in a car during the overnight hours, a violation of town code. The officer woke the woman up and offered help finding her a place to stay for the night. Within a few days, the woman filed a complaint with Chief Jason Trout, claiming the officer was rude. Instead of a battle of he said/she said, Trout went straight to the officer’s body-worn camera — a tool he says officers should have. “They’re extremely valuable,” he said, adding that the video backed up the officer’s side of the story. “You frequently get calls from citizens with complaints. You can turn on the camera and get exactly what happened.” For Dayton, and many other law enforcement agencies, securing funding for the ever-evolving technology can be tricky.
Daily News Record
Lobby days are an important tradition in Virginia politics, when advocacy groups bring their members together at the state capitol to hold demonstrations and speak with lawmakers face-to-face. COVID-19 has changed all of that. The Virginia Citizens Defense League, a group which holds its well-known lobby day on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, organized a car rally this year instead of a more traditional one which would likely not meet Gov. Ralph Northam’s social distancing standards. Many other advocacies are choosing to take their work entirely online. Dr. James Fedderman, head of the Virginia Education Association, said “for everyone’s protection, our lobbying activities have had to go virtual this year.” He says the new way of doing business has forced VEA staff and advocates to be more intentional about being in touch with lawmakers leading up to and during session. Fedderman also thinks taking people out of the bustle of the General Assembly building is helpful in some ways. “I think that the level of conversation and engagement is more meaningful because you don’t have as many distractions,” he said. “The issues are the issues and that is the focus.”
VPM
Pound Town Council member Glenn Cantrell has been charged a second time in three months with an allegation of assault in connection with a town council meeting. Mayor Stacey Carson, in a complaint sworn before a Wise County magistrate Thursday, claimed Cantrell assaulted her during the council’s Jan. 19 meeting. In the video, Carson complained during the meeting about a removal petition filed against her in Wise County Circuit Court and signed by town residents including Cantrell and council members Danny Stanley and Phil Cantrell Jr., Glenn Cantrell’s brother. Moments later, Carson said on the video that she was working to bring “every criminal act to the forefront” before turning toward Cantrell’s seat and saying, “Glenn, I will FOIA every text message you have” — a reference to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act’s provisions allowing the public to request government officials’ phone text messages under certain circumstances.
Times News
January’s meeting of the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority Board of Commissioners opened as an opportunity to hit a reset button after acrimonious proceedings in December when it voted to continue the move toward demolition of one of its Big Six housing projects. That vote came with less than a day’s warning and two weeks before a new law would have mandated a year’s notice. Within half an hour of the board’s Jan. 20 meeting, held over Zoom, the public comment period made clear that a new board would face the same calls for transparency that it has dodged for years.The board has moved toward universally observing a once-every-three-months limit on individual speakers. Legal Aid Justice Center community organizer Omari Al-Qadaffi spoke in December about the lack of public notice related to RRHA’s moving ahead to demolish Creighton Court in favor of a voucher-based, privately owned development that may push out some residents. Although barred from speaking at January’s meeting, he remains concerned that the December vote was timed to escape a law that took effect in January that would have required a yearlong notice period.
Style Weekly
stories from around the country
Buffalo, N.Y., police officers will resume displaying their names on uniforms, except when policing protest activity, department officials said Monday. Badge numbers must be displayed at all times, and police brass will determine what constitutes civil unrest that would allow officers to remove their names. The penalty for not being in compliance could include reprimand or suspension, said Police Commissioner Byron C. Lockwood. The decision aligns with the practices of many other police departments, "as we attempt to balance transparency with safety," said Capt. Jeff Rinaldo, who made the announcement at the Common Council's Police Oversight Committee meeting Monday. Velcro will be used to display the name tags on outer garments so that they can be removed during civil unrest and only badges will be displayed, Lockwood said.
Governing
Governing
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