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Show j Tr-- I r traya Overcoming 'bad habits' Letters from our readers Boards vs. open meeting law tenc or mental or physical health of personnel; discuss strategy in negotiations, litigation or purchase of real estate; discuss deployment of security personnel, or conduct investigations of alleged criminal misconduct. liy L;ior (Tiuflin Dr serf t News due dtion edifot The open meetings law" passed by the 1077 Utah Legislature will require most school hoards to overcome .nine bad habits While the law is full of loopholes that will allow boards to continue some habits it is supposed to cure, it clearly establishes the Legislature's intent that public business should be conducted m open meetings. The law not only specifies that all actions of public bodies be taken in open session, it says also that deliberations conducted openly should he A of the law states: Section closed meeting may be held upon the of the affirmative vote of members . . . present at an open meeting . provided a for which notice is given quorum is present. 4 two-thir- . stated limits on what may be discussed in a closed meeting could have both good and bad results. In many cases there is no real need for executive privilege to discuss some of the listed issues, and The Every meeting is open to the public unless closed pursuant to 'applicable secthe statute says. tions of the law . The law says clearly that no chance meeting or social meeting shall be used to circumvent the ban on closed meetings. It also requires that minutes of closed sessions be kept, that such minutes shall include the date, time and place of meeting, names of members present and absent and the names of all others present except where such disclosure would infringe on the confidence necessary to fulfill the original Such purpose of closing the meeting. minutes are declared public documents that shall be available within a reasonable time after the meeting. many boards .sow discuss them openly. The law could encourage boards to discuss them only in executive session. Two other requirements of the law are that public notice of all meetings must be made and that an agenda be made available. The statute provides that any board action taken in violation of the act is voidable by a court and that a person denied a right by the act may sue to compel compliance. The court may award reasonable attorney fees and court costs to a successful plaintiff. Almost all the work boards do could be done in open session. Valid reasons for executive sessions are the exception, not the rule. The real trouble comes because many, if not most, board members would prefer to work in executive session where they believe they can speak more freely (or perhaps just escape the responsibility for what they say). In recent years a session, something euphemistically termed a dinner or study session where no action will be taken, has flourished. The new law would seem to outlaw such sessions. quasi-executi- Its too early to tell whether the law will have any substantial impact. We believe it will have some, but not enough. The law further states that no public board shall approve any ordinance, resolution, rule, regulation, contract, or appointment in executive session. It also requires that in the event a dosed session is proposed, the reason or reasons for such a session and the vote, for or against, cast by each member shall be entered in the minutes An 'angel' on freeway To the editor. Last Friday evening. 20, 1 attended a May wedding reception in Woods Cross. I hit something on the freeway and damaged one front tire and ruined another back new tire at the same time, and being an older woman was unable to help myself. A very young man, who seemed like an angel, spent at least three hours late in the evening not only putting on my spare tire in the front, but hunting all over the Bountiful and North Salt Lake area trying to find a place that could help me with the other tire. He had a young wife and children awaiting his return while he was helping me until about 1:30 a m. We waited on the freeway for a long time before he drove by, and what a wonderful feeling to get help when so late at night and no homes nor A' 1 ' ' 01' gracious and than this young man. His name is Heber S. Meeks and he lives in North Salt Lake and he is such a credit to his Under the statute, boards are permitted "I got you this far, didn't I?" parents. thank his wife also for all the time he was away from home. Mrs. Merle V. Budd Taylorsville I ng Get your Fathers Day shopping done early and save. We have gingham checks in 100 polyester doubleknit. Orig. 25.00 Tops, 15.99. Orig. 16.00 Pants, 13.99. Solid color pieces are also available. 100 Dacron polyester wovens. Orig. 26.00 Tops, 15.99. Orig. 18.00 Pants. 13.99. in camel, Everythings ; blue or green. T ops sizes pants are 3242, most in seams. Mail and phone orders are invited. Mens Leisure Separates, 126. 'T- In addition, because of extensions into outlying suburban areas, the average length of a ride on our .system has doubled. Therefore, riderslup per mile figures constantly quoted by Rep. Taylor are not a realistic measure. UTA is considering a satellite-termina- l concept to help reduce the costs oi serving these outlying areas. The above comments represent my personal opinion. Not all agree with me. but I believe the majority do Glenn Goodrich President, Utah Transit Authority ! 1 DoWfltOWn boOSt To the editor There have apjieared in the Forum fiotn lime to time some negative comments about the Downtown Beautification Project. I wish to offer a positive personal appraisal in contrast. I like the results of the project. I like the trees. I like the fountains and only wish their water displays were more visible. I like the reduced traffic lanes and reduced parking which now provide both reason and opportunity to walk a few steps through greenery and orderly beauty and somewhat fresher air to get where I am going. Now there are or have been some things I dont like. I dont like our American insistance on motoring to within four steps of every destination. I don't like the sight of masses of cars or their pollution. I love and respect the dreams our pioneer forebears had for Salt Lake City, but I strongly dislike what my immediate elders did to this city during the 1930's and 40s and 50's. David L. Egli. M.D E. South Temple 11KI2 DESERET SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH SuuTtt Ed'tona Office 30 Advertising ana Circo'afion t NEWS Vain M3 S St Salt Lake City. UMn&jtH Established June i5, 1850 Published each evening Second class postage paid at Sait Lake City, Utah The Deseret News Publishing Company assumes no responsibility tor manuscripts and photographs contributed Photographs and articles may be reprinted only with written permission given in advance DESERET NEWS registered as U S traoemarV RATES CARRIER DELIVERY One month (daily only One month daily and Sunday S2 I 5 4 50 S3 00 RATES MAIL DELIVERY only (Utah, Idaho, Nevada and Wyoming and Sunday (Utah. Idaho, Nevada and Wyoming) only (All other states) and Sunday (AM other states) 6 months Saturday only year Saturday only Church News only year Daily Daiiy Daily Daily 5 00 3 50 6 00 6 00 to 40 4 50 mail subscriptions are pavab'e m advance Member Audit Bureau of Circulations Saturday only and Church News avaiiabiebv mail outside carrier delivery area only AM TELEPHONE NUMBERS Information News tips Sports scores Classified Ombudsman 524 4445 0 1 0 NEW SUBSCRIPTIONS OR CARRIER SERVICE (Call before 8pm.) 0 Sae Not avauabte m the ot Uah Frankim in Idaho and Uinta County n Wyoming -C- and Ontda count OUPON- WHOLESALE GROWER 1 MILLION BEDDING PLANTS 38-44- SOLID FLAT PETUNIAS CELL PAK PETUNIAS $3.39 $3.95 $3.95 Flat MARIGOLDS Flat TOMATOES INDIVIDUAL PEPPERS -E- GGPLANT 650c 670c FUSCHIA PLANTS, 6 in pot $1.50 QUALITY FLOWERS 1046 East 33rd South Open 10-- 7 P.M. Sunday 10-- 5 P.M. COUPON DON'T FORGET! RESIDENTS OF CORPORATE SALT LAKE CITY Bundle and put out your old 5) & newspapers on garbage collection The I ri million in 197ii. and a 1971 to projected 17 million in 1977, based on the first quarter rulorship. This is ahead id nearly a million rider projections made in 1971 no-far- color-coordinate- d SHOP THE BIG MEMORIAL DAY SALE AT THE BROADWAY STARTING MONDAY, MAY 30 10 A.M. TO 6 P.M. lx.- 13 no-fa- re We are wondering why the Sait Lake County garbage collection will cost the citizens of the unincorporated areas $1 a month. The private garbage collectors that I have heard about charge $2 per unit. Also, it sounds as though the commissioners are preparing for more raises and other unrelated projects by raising the mill levy as high as they plan. After all, we do pay county taxes, and the city has not been paying all our expenses. Helen Barker Salt Lake County I not going downhill as implied by Rep. Taylor. UTA has had a phenomenal increase in riderslup from 4 million in No-far- Questions I'n.vui u..e.v Ttin PUIMIC . Memorial Weekend Sale Get Dad into some new leisure separates by our best-sellimaker, and save. Now 13.99 and 15.99. no-far- e no-far- To the editor: more This could mean that a board could schedule an executive session next Friday at 5 a m. so long as the vote was taken in open session. In fact, if the section were to be so interpreted, a board could hold a legal executive session every Friday. Rep Samuel S. Taylor does the community a disservice by his constant criticism of the Utah Transit Authority and its representatives. His objective is e and he attacks everyone total who does not agree with him What Rep. Taylor does not tell the e would public is that total remove almost $2 million from UTA's operating budget. Farebox resenue for 1!)77 is estimated at $1,750,000, and over $2 million in 1978. The loss of that money would inevitably result in reductions in service Whom is Rep-- Taylor kidding? No transit company can provide more service with less money. e transit has advantages, but also has many problems. Other transit systems have considered it and as yet, not one single transit system the size of UTA has seen fit to implement a total system. In fact, of 55 transit companies across the U.S. which have instituted fare changes between 1974 and 1977, 43 increased fares, and only 12 reduced fares, including UTA. There must be a reason. e Many of us believe that Wiiiic he Wds so kind and working so hard putting on two tires, I took thoughtful during off peak hours may pro ide an incentive to better use the bus during slack hours. UTA is planning a pilot program later this year; but to extend ipto the peak hours when the used is bii-e- x are already hoavd questionable. To the editor: garbage fee down his license number (the first time I have ever thought to do such a thing), and after finding out who he was, thought I'd like to praise him in the Deseret News ar.d tell his family that I have never known anyone A4 26, 1977 )efenCjS U I A TateS telephones anywhere close by. This section of the law, if loosely interpreted, will be one Of the loopholes allowing boards to circumvent what seems a good procedure. The section could be interpeted to mean that boards may not call a closed meeting, except when they meet m open session immediately prior to the closed session. It also could be interpreted, as school boards would prefer, to give boards the right to schedule closed meetings whenever they want to, just so the vote to do so is taken in open session. to hold closed meetings for any of these purposes: to discuss the character, compe- - DESERET NEWS, THURSDAY, MAY II weight exceeds 30 pounds, or is more than 12 inches h:;h, please make 2 bundles Please tie two ways as shown 1 i |