Wearing my NFOIC hat (but talking from my Virginia experience), I sat down with Justin Silverman, executive director of the New England First Amendment Coalition, to talk about the challenges to public access to records and meetings that every state is dealing with now.

A Grottoes resident was escorted out of a packed and contentious town council meeting by police Monday night after interrupting and arguing with Mayor Jo Plaster. Kyle Stauffer, who records town meetings on his “Grottoes, Va Accountability & Transparency” Facebook page, has been behind recent efforts to bring complaints about the town’s water and sewer system to the mayor’s attention. During the meeting, Stauffer accused Plaster of trying to grow the town too fast without the necessary infrastructure, including an updated water system. “If you know the kids are growing, as you said, why don’t you buy them bigger clothes?” Stauffer asked the mayor. After that, police escorted him out of the meeting.

Richmond housing officials on Wednesday night narrowly voted against privatizing Gilpin Court — the city’s largest public housing project. The resolution, brought by RRHA’s Chief Executive Officer Steven Nesmith, was defeated by a 5-4 vote during Wednesday’s board of commissioners meeting. Quinton Robbins, director of Richmond For All, voiced concern that privatization would place Gilpin Court outside the bounds of public scrutiny. Private organizations are not subject to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, or other transparency laws that govern public bodies. Nesmith on Sunday contacted The Times-Dispatch to object to the characterization of the suggested transfer as privatization. Nesmith had previously declined to comment on the issue.