Post by Logan on May 11, 2016 0:58:40 GMT -6
Utah Transit Authority says its committee meetings are no longer public
The Utah Transit Authority, now in the midst of a campaign to improve transparency and build public trust, is moving its board committee meetings behind closed doors.
UTA recently announced reforms intended to bolster public confidence, including inviting more public comment and making all final decisions in open meetings of the full board. The announcement contained no mention of plans to close committee meetings, where UTA officials generally have worked through issues to the point that final approval by the full board usually occurs without debate.
The Salt Lake Tribune discovered the policy shift Tuesday when it asked the agency why it had not sent or posted agendas for committee meetings previously scheduled for Wednesday. UTA spokesman Remi Barron emailed the explanation that because of recent reforms to move any final decisions from committees to the full board, "the previous committee meetings will now become informal work sessions and are not required to be open meetings."
Jeff Hunt, a Salt Lake City media and First Amendment attorney, says UTA's plan would violate the Utah Open and Public Meetings Act. The Utah Transit Riders Union (UTRU), a UTA watchdog group, complains the change will exclude the public from important planning meetings.
Read more: www.sltrib.com/news/3875839-155/uta-says-its-committee-meetings-are
The Utah Transit Authority, now in the midst of a campaign to improve transparency and build public trust, is moving its board committee meetings behind closed doors.
UTA recently announced reforms intended to bolster public confidence, including inviting more public comment and making all final decisions in open meetings of the full board. The announcement contained no mention of plans to close committee meetings, where UTA officials generally have worked through issues to the point that final approval by the full board usually occurs without debate.
The Salt Lake Tribune discovered the policy shift Tuesday when it asked the agency why it had not sent or posted agendas for committee meetings previously scheduled for Wednesday. UTA spokesman Remi Barron emailed the explanation that because of recent reforms to move any final decisions from committees to the full board, "the previous committee meetings will now become informal work sessions and are not required to be open meetings."
Jeff Hunt, a Salt Lake City media and First Amendment attorney, says UTA's plan would violate the Utah Open and Public Meetings Act. The Utah Transit Riders Union (UTRU), a UTA watchdog group, complains the change will exclude the public from important planning meetings.
Read more: www.sltrib.com/news/3875839-155/uta-says-its-committee-meetings-are