RULES & REGULATIONS
On December 13, 2006, the State Freedom of Information Commission ruled that the Seymour Board of Selectmen's "policy regarding video taping of public meetings adopted at the December 21, 2005 meeting is declared null and avoid"; and that "the respondent board shall forthwith implement a policy that is in keeping with the requirements of §1-226, G.S."
Since that time, the previous administration and its Town Counsel deliberated, delayed, forestalled, and rope-a-doped this ordered process as they filed legal motions to appeal the Commission's decisions. After wasting thousands of taxpayer dollars and nearly 5 years of deliberations, former 1st Selectman Koskelowski and Town Counsel Temple finally tossed in the towel and withdrew their appeals immediately after their unsuccessful election in 2009. This travesty has since been turned over to the new administration of Paul Roy and Town Counsel Colleen Fries. Since early December, proponent Frank Loda encouraged the new administration to draw up new regulations that conformed with the requirements outlined by the Freedom of Information in 2006. At their April 6th meeting, the Board of Selectmen first rejected the FOI recommended rules and then voted 4-3 to adopt the rules submitted by Town Counsel Fries.
Listed below are copies of the documents outlining the rules for video taping that were submitted to the Board of Selectmen for consideration. The Freedom of Information's Court ordered recommendations are shown first, followed by a recommended lighter version submitted by Frank Loda, and a final further reduced version forwarded by Town Counsel.
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION RECOMMENDATION PER COURT ORDER - REJECTED BY BOS ON 4/6/10
FRANK LODA'S RECOMMENDATION - NEVER CONSIDERED BY BOS ON 4/6/10
TOWN COUNSEL COLLEEN FRIES' RECOMMENDATIONS - ADOPTED BY BOS ON 4/6/10
Four Democratic Selectmen voted and adopted Town Counsel's recommended set of rules for video taping despite objections from 3 Republican members. Definitive rules #2 and #3 were not included. As a result, legal fees in five digits were expended by the Town foolishly. Taxpayer dollars were expended by the FOI Commission in hearing, ruling and defending their decision unnecessarily and, a citizen's time and effort was improperly infringed upon, all for political expediency.
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Paid for by the Seymour Democratic Town Committee
Rosalie Averill , Treasurer