The Attorney General’s office had previously deemed the original notes insufficient, The TAB’s Jenna Fisher reports.
Update: Full copy of the revised minutes posted here.
Further update: City’s response to Newton TAB’s complaint to AG regarding violation of Open Meeting Law.
The issue wasn’t insufficient minutes, it was intentional withholding of minutes.
Perhaps the issue is insufficient moral judgment…
I can’t think of a better reason for Newton to have a recall provision in our Charter than the current School Committee. And I can’t recall any Newton official who deserved to be impeached more than Matt Hills. Coverups, and deliberately misleading the public should disqualify anyone from public office.
Mike, initially, I thought the violations of the Open Meeting Law had to have been intentional, until I was berated by an administration official at a Programs & Services Committee meeting for suggesting that the Licensing Commission’s minutes were inadequate. The descriptions of lengthy discussions were virtually identical to the minutes originally released by the School Committee, or nonexistent. Upon further review, however, I discovered that the Licensing Commission minutes referenced the provisions of the original 1958 Open Meeting Law (“there’s your problem”), which was completely overhauled in 2009.
There really is no excuse, of course, because the law department and the clerk’s office have put together a comprehensive guide to the new Open Meeting Law and train both staff and members of all of the boards, committees and commissions in the city, including the Board of Aldermen and the School Committee. Even a cursory review of the section on meeting minutes would have put anyone on notice that you can’t get away with a one sentence description of a two hour meeting.
I still don’t understand why the School Committee fought the Newton TAB’s Open Meeting Law complaint. But I applaud former editor Emily Costello for fighting the good fight in the name of our Sunshine Laws. In the words of Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, “sunshine is said to be the best disinfectant.”
I was struck by this particular clause from the TAB’s article:
Thanks for asking.
That makes it seem more intentional. Knowing and being trained using the 2009 OML indicates referencing the 1958 law was done purposely. But what does this new version of the minutes actually say. There were lots of e-mails, several listenings to the 2 speeches, numerous times of reflexion, lots of next step discussions and an eventual statement. These minutes didn’t need to be withheld, (I thnk we all knew “stuff”happened.) So if this is what the AG and the OML require why not just do it from the beginning?
Marti, the School Committee sent a written response to the Newton TAB OML Complaint, which is a public record. Perhaps the TAB or V14 could publish it and let people judge for themselves.
Because of the poor and intellectually dishonest way the School Committee handled this matter, not one incumbent member will get my vote for re-election.
Can anyone answer this question…
When was Mayor Warren first aware that the Superintendent had plagiarized parts of his speech?
Mike Strair – the minutes say chair Matt Hills was informed by email on June 27 by a Newton South teacher, he replied to that email the same day and began “conversations” with the Superintendant on that day.The first Executive Session was july 3 — so logically the Mayor knew at a point between those two key dates.
It’s unfortunate that the minutes still don’t say who was present at each meeting or if the decision was unanimous or not.
The Mayor is a SC member – when did the SC find out ? IMHO they most likely found out on June 27th or June 28th at the very latest . I doubt that Matt Hills kept it all to himself until July 3rd. Did he call each one of them – or did he email? Isn’t Email open to disclosure? They sure were lucky to keep it under wraps till July 24th – just when most were out of town for their summer vacations.
Greg Reibman–And where’s the description of starting in Open Session?
Greg, Hoss, my point exactly. We learned very little. Minutes from committee/board meetings usually include those present, how many voted yes/no/adstain/recuse, notes on questions asked and answerred etc. Not we heard, we emailed, we met, we decided what to do next and we did it.
I still can’t find the link to the full minutes on the city or school site but I got a copy and have posted them here.
This says who attended all the meetings.
Now that more is posted, it appears Mayor Warren was in attendance at the July 3rd meeting. He knew the entire time. What a startling lack of leadership from a man who pledged transparency in governance, and is supposed to be in-charge.