Rumors of secret meetings unfounded - The New Britain Herald (newbritainherald.com)
By: James Craven
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
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21 comments:
In his report "rumors are Unfounded" Reporter Craven reports that he arrived at the city hall at 8:45 PM when the meeting started at 8:30 and by his own admission he admits I cited he was in the council chambers on my arrival when I encountered the question by the clerk of the council " how did you get into the Building?
I was always under the impression that the garage entrance to City Hall automatically locked at 8:00 p.m. Was I misinformed?
Anonymous said...
I was always under the impression that the garage entrance to City Hall automatically locked at 8:00 p.m. Was I misinformed?
.......
So then how could they schedule a public meeting at 8:30 unless they wanted the meeting to be held behind locked doors?
Also, why would the council clerk question Frank Smith about how he got into the building, unless they intended to keep the public out?
In my mind, today's article raises some serious questions about the credibility/objectivity or at least the thoroughness of reporting by the "New" New Britain Herald, and not the shadow of doubt that they apparently intended to cast upon the editor of this blog, whom we have always known to be a credible person.
If you look at the situation impartially like a trier of facts would have to decide in judging what the truth is, there are several unanswered questions about the meeting being opened to the public that need to be answered first.
First there is the question of why the clerk would question how someone got into the building? If they really expected the public to attend, then why would their clerk be so surprised about an outsider's presence?
Then, there is the statement about how the reporter, already admitted to the meeting earlier, but left the meeting for the sole purpose of checking the doors to see if they were unlocked? Does this reporter make it a practice to leave public meetings to check the doors to all meetings to assure they are always open to the public? We need to know more about the reporter's motives in checking the doors to a meeting already in progress?
There is also the question of why no one else from the public, except political insiders were inside the meeting until Mr. Smith found his way inside, particularly for such an important issue like the annual budget which many people have been so passionate about.
I also question the failure to post the meeting notice on the web site when it is the custom of the council to post its meetings there. There are numerous rulings by the FOI Commission where they rule against agencies for not posting notices in places that they have routinely posted their meeting notices, whether it is a web site, a notice taped in a window etc, and the commission seems to seriously question motives anytime an agency deviates from the normal practice.
Speaking on custom, the council customarily meets at 7PM, but this time chose to meet at 8:30 PM. What was the motivation to changing to such a late meeting time. If the doors do automatically lock at 8PM as reported by another reader, then could the motivation be to make sure the meeting was held after City Hall is locked up for the night?
What time did the reporter arrive? Was it before the 8PM locking of the doors?
Did the reporter witness the council clerk challenging Frank Smith for being in the building?
If the doors were unlocked when the reporter rechecked them, could they have been unlocked by someone who now knew the "cat was out of the bag" regarding the so-called secret meeting and ran to unlock them before more people made an issue of the locked doors or before the reporter caught them at their game?
It would appear that these doors are locked and unlocked electronically. Who has access to this system and is there a computer log of when the doors were actually locked and unlocked and by whom?
These are all reasonable questions that any investigator or reporter should determine an answer to before anyone can decide for certain that the report that the report of the doors being locked was "unfounded." For all we know, there is a computer record that proves that the doors were locked as scheduled at 8PM.
I raise the questions.
You decide!
Freedom of Information Commission of The State of Connecticut...
...Section 1-206(b)(1), G.S., provides that:
Any person denied the right to inspect or copy records under section 1-210 or wrongfully denied the right to attend any meeting of a public agency or denied any other right conferred by the Freedom of Information Act may appeal therefrom to the Freedom of Information Commission, by filing a notice of appeal with said commission.
A notice of appeal shall be filed within thirty days after such denial, except in the case of an unnoticed or secret meeting, in which case the appeal shall be filed within thirty days after the person filing the appeal receives notice in fact that such meeting was held.
With respect to providing notice of a special meeting §1-225(d), G.S., provides in relevant part:
Notice of each special meeting of every public agency - shall be given not less than twenty-four hours prior to the time of such meeting by filing a notice of the time and place thereof in the office - of the clerk of such subdivision for any public agency of a political subdivision of the state - The notice shall specify the time and place of the special meeting and the business to be transacted.
The only error found by The Herald newspaper was the lack of notice placed on the city Web site. However, according to state statutes, none would have been required if the meeting was called as a special meeting.
The city was remiss in not complying with state statute Section 1-225 (d) in that the minutes of the special meeting were not posted on its City Web site within 72 hours.
Also, on the City of New Britain Website a Legal Notice dated June 3, 2009 stated: The Common Council will hold a special meeting on 06/05/09 at 8:30 pm.
Frank,
It sounds like someone is working very hard to encourage you to file a formal complaint (within the 30 day time frame) against the city for this meeting held behind locked doors, and then the Commission would have the authority to rule that the action taken at that meeting was illegal and could choose to invalidate it.
I find it particularly interesting that the previous posting cites a legal notice that he/she claims to exist on the city web site, but I could not locate anywhere on the site now, nor on previous visits to the site. It seems that defenders of this practice have taken to making up notices that don't appear to exist. The more questions that surface about this meeting, the more it appears that there was a conspiracy to pass a budget hidden at a meeting hidden from public view.
Further, as you know, there have been many postings on here in the past by people who alleged that certain members of the City Council controlled whatever was printed in the old New Britain Herald, which raises questions about why they would publish a story concluding that the meeting behind locked doors was "unfounded" while so many serious questions remain unanswered. Is it possible that they really just didn't bother to ask so many important questions?
Well, we know one thing for sure. Frank Smith can never be wrong.
Frank,
It sounds like someone is working very hard to encourage you to file a formal complaint (within the 30 day time frame) against the city for this meeting held behind locked doors, and then the Commission would have the authority to rule that the action taken at that meeting was illegal and could choose to invalidate it.
I find it particularly interesting that the previous posting cites a legal notice that he/she claims to exist on the city web site, but I could not locate anywhere on the site now, nor on previous visits to the site. It seems that defenders of this practice have taken to making up notices that don't appear to exist. The more questions that surface about this meeting, the more it appears that there was a conspiracy to pass a budget at a meeting hidden from public view--why else would the clerk of the common council, Mr. John Melechinsky question Mr. Smith about his being in the building during the meeting (or is the Herald alleging that this never happened either?).
Further, as you know, there have been many postings on here in the past by people who alleged that certain members of the City Council controlled whatever was printed in the old New Britain Herald, which raises questions about why they would publish a story concluding that the meeting behind locked doors was "unfounded" while so many serious questions remain unanswered. Is it possible that they really just didn't bother to ask so many important questions?
if there's a question between believing Frank Smith or the liberal media my moneys on Smith
NOTE: Print Out This List To Guide You To 3 Legal Notices For NB Common Council Special Meeting on 06/05/09.
1.- http://www.new-britain.net/city_center.html
2.- Common Council Page - Click on Site Map
3.- Site Map Page -Scan down City Government list from::
4.- Arts Commission to Legal Notices
5.- Click on Legal Notices
6.- Scan down to date of: June 3, 2009 and click on the line below -
7.- The Common Council will hold a special meeting on 06/05/09 at 8:30 pm
8.- New Britain / LEGAL NOTICE / There will be a Special Meeting of the Common Council on Friday
evening, June 5, 2009 at 8:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 27 West Main Street, City Hall, for the
following purposes:
9- List of Items #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6
10.- Bottom of Page Click on: Download Mayor’s Warrant Here PDF
11.- MAYOR’S WARRANT / TO THE CLERK OF THE CITY OF NEW BRITAIN:
12.- List of Items: #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6
The meeting was posted in the Town Clerk's office, which is considered legal notice. However, those interested in attending council meetings either check the newspaper or the city website. It's doubtful the general public would go to the Town Clerk's office to check the bulletin board to see when the next council meeting will be held.
Has Gerrantana moved into New Britain or is he still living in Berlin ????
Maybe he thought he would never get caught.
Gerratona announced recently that he and his wife had moved to Winthrop St. Latest rumor is that the Gerratonas have now purchased a house on Brookside Rd. in NB. Not bad for a 23 year old who works as a legislative aide at the capital. Who knows?
Anonymous said...
Gerratona announced recently that he and his wife had moved to Winthrop St. Latest rumor is that the Gerratonas have now purchased a house on Brookside Rd. in NB. Not bad for a 23 year old who works as a legislative aide at the capital. Who knows?
Does this mean that he will now register his and his wife's cars in New Britain and pay New Britain taxes for the first time in his young life?????
Wait til he sees how much higher the taxes are here in New Britain over his former pool house residence in Berlin???
The 9 steps required to find the meeting notice is just more evidence of their intent to hide the meeting notice where no one would be expected to see it, unless they had the secret 9 step directions needed to find it.
This is very interesting considering there is a specific page for the posting of council meetings that are scheduled, and yet there is no mention of this meeting. There is also a page entitled "PRESS RELEASES" and still no mention of a budget meeting.
You need to be sent the 9 required steps to find the notice, so what member of the public could be expected to find it, and if he did, how would he be expected to attend the meeting with the city hall doors locked and the council clerk questioning anyone who entered as to how they managed to get into the building?
Someone is working awfully hard to prove that they didn't intend to hide this meeting from the public, especially when it is the only meeting I could find that was ever scheduled for after the doors at city hall automatically lock. That alone raises many questions regarding their intent.
I could only get up to step 6, and then it didn't work anymore. Did they change the combination to the safe?
what kind of reporting would you expect from the Obama-mania media.
Why did the herald print the story regarding smith's blogging the lock doors as being rumors. did they do it for the council clerk john melchinshy?
Joe A. said...I could only get up to step 6, and then it didn't work anymore. Did they change the combination to the safe?
I just made three separate Screen Shots of the three NB Legal Notices and then printed out Paper Copies of Legal Notices on my computer.
No problem following the Steps 1 through 12 of Common Council 8:30 pm Special Meeting - Friday Night 06/05/09 – General Fund Budget - Fiscal Year 2009-2010 – Legal Notices.
1. I made A Screen Shot of the Legal Notice: June 3,2009 -The Common Council will hold a special meeting on 06/05/09 at 8:30pm.
2. I made A Screen Shot of the LEGAL NOTICE: There will be a Special Meeting of the Common Council on Friday evening, June 5, 2009 at 8:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 27 West Main Street, City Hall, for the following purposes etc.
3. I made A Screen Shot of the MAYOR'S WARRANT: TO THE CLERK OF THE CITY OF NEW BRITAIN etc.
1. To accept a report of the Committee on Administration, Finance and law etc.
2. To accept a report of the Consolidated Sub-Committee etc.
3. To accept a report of the Committee on Planning, Zoning and Housing etc.
I now have a paper record of these Legal Notices... file in a folder.
nothing new, unless you are a left wing nut job, they are going to vicously attack you anytime they can, but a socialist could do whatever he want
Anonymous said...
Joe A. said...I could only get up to step 6, and then it didn't work anymore. Did they change the combination to the safe?
I just made three separate Screen Shots of the three NB Legal Notices and then printed out Paper Copies of Legal Notices on my computer.
No problem following the Steps 1 through 12 of Common Council 8:30 pm Special Meeting - Friday Night 06/05/09 – General Fund Budget - Fiscal Year 2009-2010 – Legal Notices.
1. I made A Screen Shot of the Legal Notice: June 3,2009 -The Common Council will hold a special meeting on 06/05/09 at 8:30pm.
2. I made A Screen Shot of the LEGAL NOTICE: There will be a Special Meeting of the Common Council on Friday evening, June 5, 2009 at 8:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 27 West Main Street, City Hall, for the following purposes etc.
3. I made A Screen Shot of the MAYOR'S WARRANT: TO THE CLERK OF THE CITY OF NEW BRITAIN etc.
1. To accept a report of the Committee on Administration, Finance and law etc.
2. To accept a report of the Consolidated Sub-Committee etc.
3. To accept a report of the Committee on Planning, Zoning and Housing etc.
I now have a paper record of these Legal Notices... file in a folder.
BUT DO YOU A PHOTO OF THE CITY HALL LOCKED DOORS IN THE SAME FOLDER--SHOWING HOW THE COUNCIL INTENTIONALLY LOCKED OUT THE PUBLIC????
I DO!!!!!!
The key to a Court Case is a paper trail of documents...and purposes of Special Meeting on 06/05/09 was to accept a report of...
...report of Administration, Finance and Law ...report of Consolidated Sub-Committee
...report of Committee on Planning, Zoning and Housing.
...and then to act upon a Resolution regarding the General Fund Budget Budget for Fiscal year 2009-2010.
Tonilynn Collins is Chairman of Administration, Finance and
Law Committee and Paul Catanzaro is Chairman of Consolidated Sub-Committee and Silvia Cruz is Chairman of the Committee on Planning, Zoning and Housing.
We are now generating more paper documents to our Lawyers office staff on these three (Chairman) stooges?
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