Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting Human Services Review Committee Second Revised Warning

by Not Signed In | Town News | 737 Views

The Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting Human Services Review Committee CHANGED THE START TIME of its meeting on Thursday, November 30, 2017 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm AND THE LOCATION OF THE MEETING. The Committee will meet at the Winston Prouty Campus (formerly Austine School), 209 Austine Drive, Holton Hall, 2nd Floor, on Thursday, November 30, 2017 at 7:00pm. It is anticipated that the committee will enter into executive session at 7:05pm to discuss agencies’ financial records exempt from the access to public records. (See REVISED2 agenda)

Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
230 Main Street, Suite 208
Brattleboro, VT 05301
(802) 251-8100

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Human Services Review Committee
November 30, 2017
Regular Meeting – 7:00pm
Executive Session – 7:05pm
Winston Prouty Campus, Holton Hall, 2nd Floor
209 Austine Drive, Brattleboro
SECOND REVISED Agenda

(1) Convene meeting
(2) Review and approve minutes – September 18, 2017 and November 21, 2017
(3) Public Participation
(4) Enter Executive Session – discuss agencies’ financial records exempt from the access to public records
(5) Reconvene
(6) Adjourn

Comments | 1

  • Submitted by SK-B on November 30, 2017 at 6:42 pm

    Town Manager's Office to Committee: Cancel Executive Session

    The warning that the Committee intended to go into executive session did not seem right to me for the following reason:

    The warning said that the Committee would discuss in executive session town agencies’ financial records (which is not specified in the statutes as the type of documents which are exempt from public access). In fact, the financial records of town agencies, which would include income & expenditures and budget, are indeed open to public scrutiny, as the town government is supposed to be accountable to us as to how they are spending our taxes.

    In consultation with the Vermont Secretary of State and the Brattleboro Town Attorney; the Brattleboro Town Manager’s office sent the following memo to the Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting Human Services Review Committee:

    Emilie and Ann:

    Steven K-Brooks, a Town resident, disagrees that the Human Services Review Committee may meet in executive session.  Following is a string of e-mails that he sent to the Town Manager’s Office, Town Attorney, and Secretary of State Condos.  It has been determined that the committee may NOT meet in executive session to deliberate and consider agencies’ applications, financial records and other records.  So at tonight’s meeting, all discussions must take place in public session.  The Chair should make an announcement at the start of the meeting that the full meeting will be in open session in accordance with the Open Meeting Law so that members of the public will know they can stay to hear the deliberations.  The committees’ recommendations must also be made in public.  The minutes from this meeting should include the announcement that there will be no executive session, a summary of the discussions, and the committees’ recommendations.

    Thanks for making the adjustments.  Let me know if you have any questions.

    Jan Anderson 
    Executive Secretary 
    Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office 
    230 Main Street, Suite 208
    Brattleboro, VT  05301
    (802) 251-8100

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