Transparency News 11/7/19

Thursday
November 7, 2019

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state & local news stories

“[T]he meetings, which will not be open to the public, will give staff the chance to vet the feasibility of ideas that might not yet be solid.”

A regional group with elected officials from Charlottesville and Albemarle County will morph into a staff committee. The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday approved a resolution to dissolve the Planning and Coordination Council and redefine the regional group into the Land Use and Environmental Planning Committee. City Councilors voted 4-1 on Monday to approve the changes. “What we would suggest is establishing a working group of professionals that not only focuses on land use planning, but also on environmental issues, infrastructure issues, issues of mutual concerned all three organizations,” said County Executive Jeff Richardson. Richardson said the meetings, which will not be open to the public, will give staff the chance to vet the feasibility of ideas that might not yet be solid.
The Daily Progress

A top-secret and secure federal government facility just northwest of Warrenton admitted Tuesday that it may be responsible for crippling dozens of garage door openers in two nearby subdivisions. More than 70 Olde Gold Cup and Silver Cup Estates homeowners have reported that openers started to fail about two weeks ago, according to Betty Compton, Olde Gold Cup’s Neighborhood Watch group coordinator.
FauquierNow.com

Voters in Shenandoah and Warren counties looking for information leading up to and on Election Day had to find their information somewhere other than official county sites. While long-time residents may be familiar with things such as polling locations and their voting status eligibility, those looking to find that information in Shenandoah County had to navigate a tricky county website that included broken and outdated links. Warren County voters may have had similar issues finding out basic information about the 2019 elections. Warren County’s voter registrar page includes a link to “2019 Upcoming Elections” that takes the user to a Virginia Department of Elections page that cannot be reached.
The Northern Virginia Daily

stories of national interest

A list of candidates for the University of Colorado system president were described as “finalists” in emails between regents, contrary to the system’s previous assertions that President Mark Kennedy was the sole finalist for the job. That detail is key to an ongoing lawsuit filed by the Daily Camera asking the CU system be ordered to release the names of other applicants for the position. 
Broomfield Enterprise

editorials & columns

“[B]oard members have simply pointed the finger at the board’s clerk, who has now resigned . . . We find this to be a flimsy excuse and a poor reflection on the board.”

For many months now, parties interested in the Suffolk School Board have complained about delayed release of the board’s agendas and related materials. We hope a resolution is on its way. The public needs to be able to see the board agenda in advance in order to know what important items will be discussed. Members of the public also need to know if there are any issues they wish to speak about to the board in order to sign up to do so. But for quite some time, the public hasn’t had access to agendas far enough in advance to prepare. As an answer to the complaints, board members have simply pointed the finger at the board’s clerk, who has now resigned, stating that she had an illness in her family. We find this to be a flimsy excuse and a poor reflection on the board. The former clerk should not be blamed for prioritizing her family, and a school system the size of Suffolk’s should have had at least one other employee who could have been taking care of this duty in her absence.
Suffolk News-Herald