| Show Censorship in Utah Reporters Question Executive Session 1 Editors Editor's note This is the e third in a series of articles disclosing disclosing in ing how some public officials in Utah are arc using the closed session to conduct much of the publics public's business in private n By Richard A. A Squires How lIow often do Utah's city and town governments violate the spirit spirit spirit-if if not the letter letter of of state tate laws requiring them to conduct your public business in the open The answer to this question provokes a controversy sometimes sometimes sometimes some some- times even among members of city governments themselves Utah's lawmakers went as far as words would take them to keep local government public All city governing boards are arc required by law to sit with open doors to keep a public c record of yeas and nays ina s on every question and to keep records of oC meetings open to public inspection at all times during business hours lAs l Court Interpretation As far back as 1908 the Utah Supreme Court interpreted these laws as prohibiting city fathers from excluding the public or the press from meetings by dissolving into a committee of oC the whole City fathers cannot use the fact that no final action is taken in these star chamber sessions as a defense the court held In a unanimous opinion the court ruled The purpose of oC these laws was not that the public might know how the vote stood but that the public might know what the councilmen thought about the matters in case they expressed an opinion The public has the right to know just what public business is being considered and to what extent it is discussed These discussions and deliberations could all be taken up in committee of oC the whole and the public would be excluded I from the very proceedings which the law intended should be conducted con con- c con conducted n- n ducted with open doors The law requires the commission to hold at least four meetings weekly weekly one one an evening meeting The commission holds three three three-on on Tuesdays Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10 am a.m. Commission chambers are arc kept kepl open Mondays i at 5 pm p.m. forthe for forthe forthe the mandatory evening meeting meeting but but the public would be hard put to get a quorum of officials there without giving them prior warning Same Reason Applies The reason given for this state of oC affairs is that the public seldom if ever er attends the evening meeting But the same reason applies for most of oC the daytime sessions One meeting the public never attends is held every Monday londay at am a.m. in Mayor Mayor- Earl J. J Glades Glade's office All commissioners usually attend The door to the office is closed Mayor layor Glade said this week about these meetings that the press is always welcome largely routine to arrange business business busi bus ness of the week Nothing to hide no one kept out said Commissioner Joe L. L Christensen on the same subject These executive sessions are arc necessary not to keep the I vital news or information from the public But it is in the publics public's interest to discuss these matters in pr private prate ate while they are arc in the he formative stages was Commissioner Grant M M. Burbidge's opinion opinion opinion ion of the Monday sessions Veteran city reporters question whether the subjects are largely routine or all in the formative stages During the past three months a police chiefs chief's resignation was thrashed out in such a session A new police chief was appointed while the public and the press kept out of earshot watched Commissioner Ben E. E under whom he serves pound the table in anger Such sessions were called to thrash out the decision to spend for a blanket 15 monthly salary increase for city em em- Did any commissioners believe 15 too little Anybody think it was too much Behind Closed Doors City officials at the present time arc are discussing discussing behind behind closed doors methods doors methods of oC disposing of the valuable Ensign Flats owned city property for residential housing When does docs that matter matter matter mat mat- ter become public information Does Docs the public get to know what disposition is being considered for its land before or after the decision is made The records of the formal meetings are arc available They generally generally generally gener gener- ally show all actions unanimous Seldom is there debate on even the most complex proposals Compared with what goes on in many major cities of oC course I these are minor criticisms But as government grows and becomes more complex it becomes more difficult and more important to II keep the people informed Little light comes through a closed door |
