Transparency News, 8/26/21

Martinsville and Henry County advanced the reversion process on Tuesday by adopting resolutions that adopted their voluntary settlement agreement — although they did so neither jointly nor unanimously. This agreement was approved, though, with some confusion based on the overlapping schedules of the county’s and city’s meetings Tuesday. Supervisors adjourned their 3 o’clock meeting on Tuesday and cleared the Summerlin Room of the media and public in order to meet in closed session, a common process, including “for discussion of pending legal matters pertaining to [a] voluntary settlement agreement relating to the Martinsville’s reversion to a town,” a meeting agenda stated. But before the next regularly scheduled meeting at 6 p.m. the board reconvened in public without announcement and voted, 4-2, in favor of the VSA resolution. Supervisors Debra Buchanan and Joe Bryant voted against the resolution, just as they had voted against the memorandum of understanding. “That’s our standard protocol for action out of closed session,” Henry County Administrator Tim Hall said. But City Council members were unaware a vote in the county had taken place and became concerned the county may have reneged on the mutual arrangement to approve the resolution separately but on the same day. Council approved the resolution, 4-1, with council member Tammy Pearson casting the only dissenting vote.  “There are a lot of good things about reversion, and I’m not so much voting against it as I am voting against having to approve this document before the public has had a chance to see it,” Pearson said.
Martinsville Bulletin

Roanoke Mayor Sherman Lea is considering whether the annual state of the city speech should become a free public event next year without the usual ticket requirement, which pays for meeting space and a hotel breakfast. Lea plans to talk to the Roanoke Chamber of Commerce, host of the event, about a criticism he’s heard that the event requires a ticket. “I think there is some merit to the fact that, hey, you got to go buy a ticket to hear your elected official, hear the status of the city,” Lea said. The state of the city speech was at one time given in council chambers at the Noel C. Taylor Municipal Building and was open to anyone without charge.
The Roanoke Times

A group of parents in Loudoun County, Va., has filed a recall petition against school board member Beth Barts, after gathering roughly 1,860 signatures in favor of her removal — meeting the percentage threshold required under Virginia law. The parent group Fight for Schools lodged the 152-page petition in Loudoun County Circuit Court on Wednesday. It accuses Barts of disrespecting constituents and her colleagues on the board and of releasing confidential school board information on social media. It also alleges that she violated Virginia’s open meeting laws in part by discussing school board business in a private Facebook group with other board members, and that she has “encouraged the harassment of private citizens who have expressed opposition to her preferred policies.”
The Washington Post

The Prince William County School Board will consider a slew of changes to its public comment policy at its next meeting Sept. 1, including requiring advance sign-up for speakers, requiring that their comments be “directly” related to school policy or operations, and banning signs unless they’re part of a division-approved student presentation. According to the agenda item submitted by Division Counsel Mary McGowan, the changes were requested by one or more members of the school board and will be discussed at the next board meeting. As part of the new changes, the citizen comment period for regular board meetings would be limited to one hour, “with the first half hour reserved for comments on agenda items only, and the second half hour for comments on agenda items or other topics germane to the operations and policies of PWCS.” In both forums, speakers would be limited to two minutes of time, and will be required to sign up to comment online or over the phone by noon the day of the board meeting. Given the hour limit, the list will be limited to a total of 30 speakers.  “While the School Board welcomes and encourages comments from the public on matters relating to PWCS, and particularly values public input on agenda items, the Board must follow reasonable time, place and manner restrictions on public comment in order to conduct its business in a timely and orderly fashion,” the amended policy would read.
Inside NoVa

About a dozen Spotsylvania County residents who didn’t get a chance to speak at a School Board meeting earlier this week showed up at Tuesday night’s Board of Supervisors meeting to have their say. The county residents were up in arms about students being required to wear masks at school and the School Board not allowing residents to speak at its meeting Monday. “We get shuffled out the door, or we get a gavel banged at us and we get threatened with removal by the police. We’re not allowed to speak,” Daniel Latham said of Monday’s School Board meeting, which the School Board ended after 13 minutes following outbursts from some in the crowd. Supervisor Deborah Frazier, who is also principal of Chancellor Middle School, said it’s good to have county residents’ input, but that meeting time should not be used to “attack.” Rather, she said, the community needs to work together. Other supervisors also noted the importance of allowing residents to speak. 
The Free Lance-Star

 

 

 

An eight-minute video that shows the Boulder King Soopers mass shooting suspect inside the grocery store during the attack will be kept secret from the public even though it will be presented as evidence at an upcoming court hearing, a Boulder County district court judge ruled. District Attorney Michael Dougherty cited the need to protect victims’ privacy and the defendant’s right to a fair trial in his July request that the video be made secret and not played in open court, but some experts say the move clashes with a cornerstone of the court system and violates a new state rule that governs when and how court records can be sealed. “It‘s really a foundational principle of our country that we have open trials and open criminal proceedings in order to keep all of the parties involved honest,” said attorney Steve Zansberg, president of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition.
The Denver Post

 

It is telling — and worth reflection — that the charges against former Norfolk Sheriff Bob McCabe became public in a corruption trial of another elected official in Norfolk, Anthony Burfoot. He served on the City Council and as the city’s vice mayor before winning election as treasurer in 2013. What these men did is beyond a criminal offense that can be punished with time behind bars. Their actions have undermined public trust in government, already perilously low, and contributed to the belief that elected office serves the office holder, not the people. But this experience shows the need for more well-intentioned people to serve in the public trust, people who are determined to do right by citizens and operate within the bounds of the law. Serving in elected office should be an honor to anyone chosen, and not something to be taken for granted. Somewhere along the way, McCabe lost sight of that. May his fall serve as a warning to others who aspire to and serve in public office.
The Virginian-Pilot