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State appeals court to Boston City Council: Knock it off

By adamg on Thu, 05/01/2008 - 11:22am

Terry Klein has a copy of the decision and some analysis of a case in which the council was accused of illegally barring the public from at least 10 meetings over a two-year period (including one on a tularemia outbreak at a BU lab). Although the court sent some issues back to a lower court for final disposition, the justices are clearly getting a little tired of the Boston City Council, in a decision that starts:

The city council of Boston finds itself, not for the first time, on the losing end of a determination that it has improperly excluded the public from its deliberations. ...

Free tagging: 
City Council
Michael Flaherty
Massachusetts Appeals Court


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Comments

By Brett on Thu, 05/01/2008 - 11:44am.

Wow, the BRA is arrogant:

On several occasions the council allegedly posted a guard from the BRA at the door of a private meeting room to maintain a careful headcount and ensure that only a minority of councillors, albeit a rotating minority, were physically in each others' presence at any one moment, despite the fact that the council had been previously ordered to abandon this practice by a judge of the Superior Court. Shannon vs. Boston City Council, Suffolk Superior Court, No. 87-5397 (Feb. 28, 1989). Moreover, the council agreed to submit to the continuing jurisdiction of the Superior Court with respect to that order.

By theszak on Thu, 05/01/2008 - 1:35pm.

The city stenographer is budgeted for the public meetings of our Boston City Council. The stenographic machine data should be a public record. Having the stenographic data of the remarks and debate of our City Councilors available would be a more open opportunity for comment, responses and questions with cited Councilors' words.

For people with hearing loss having the stenographic data available of our City Council would be a good idea. That way we could read the words of our Councilors and the words of the people with expertise testifying before our Council.

By anon on Fri, 05/02/2008 - 9:17am.

Small correction-- the decision is from the Massachusetts Appeals Court, which the intermediate appellate court, not the SJC.

By adamg on Fri, 05/02/2008 - 9:30am.

Actually, that's a fairly significant distinction; I should learn to read better.