Enfield’s lack of transparency in Charter Revision meetings: a serious concern

 

Town Council, YouTube capture

I’ve worked as a news reporter for 45 years, as a local news reporter but a longer period as a tech policy reporter based in Washington. I believe very strongly in government transparency. I’m trying to fill a few gaps in our local news coverage and analysis of issues, and it’s more of a hobby, a way of contributing to the town. This is now home.

In the spirit of contributing to the town, here’s something that is making me angry.

Enfield has generally done a good job of making some meetings accessible on YouTube. I applaud the town for these broadcasts and for making available meeting agendas that include the supporting documentation. However, these same standards are not being applied to the Charter Revision Commission (CRC).

The commission is not broadcasting the meetings, and they are not making supporting documentation readily available.

The public deserves video

The CRC's work is important. The commission may recommend Charter changes impacting our town's operation. The commission members meet for roughly two hours to discuss the various proposals. The discussion has been erudite, and sometimes passionate, and generally engaging.

But without video, residents won’t fully understand how some decisions were reached and the pro/con arguments. The absence of a broadcast shuts down informed community discussion if people don’t know what’s going on. People need to know in real-time how these proposals are coming together.

At the CRC’s Jan. 9 meeting, a motion was made by CRC member Lewis Fiore, a Democrat member, to broadcast the meeting. A few other CRC members also seemed supportive, but the commission tabled it pending information on the cost.

On Jan. 23, the commission took the video broadcasting question off the table for discussion.

Mayor Ken Nelson, the CRC chair and Republican leader, said the Town Council discussed video broadcasting it at its most recent meeting. He said the information technology department is getting the cost associated with it.

Video will end up a 'dead item'

Fiore questioned this approval process at the meeting, saying it “seems to be taking the long way around” to get action.

The commission might only have six workshop meetings, and it has already held two. Fiore noted that by the time the Council gets to the CRC video issue, there may only be one CRC meeting left.

“I can see how this is going to play out,” Fiore said. “So I just want to voice my concern -- I think it’s going to end up being a dead item.”

Nelson said, “We do everything through a Council decision. And when it costs the taxpayers money, the Council will make that decision, not me or the town manager.”

Needless process delays

They are holding the meetings in the Scitico Room, where they can broadcast. The town should already know the cost involved.

Fiore may be right about the time frame; process delays may make video broadcasting of CRC meetings moot. It follows then that the delay in broadcasting could imply that the mayor doesn’t want the CRC meetings to be accessible to the public.

When local governments block access to meetings or drag their feet on public broadcasting, it signals to residents that their voices don’t matter as much as they should.

Without these broadcasts, residents have to rely on second-hand accounts, which can distort the actual discussions and decisions being made.

FOIA request is unnecessary

Secondly, I’ve submitted a FOIA to the town asking for the written proposals to the charter, especially those offered by council members. That was about 10 days ago.

It’s frustrating that I have to submit a FOIA when the town should be posting this material on its website.

I’m angry because we shouldn’t have to deal with this nonsense. The CRC meetings should have been broadcast from the start. If the next CRC meeting isn't broadcast, it will likely be due to political decisions that prioritize control over transparency.

Video and archived recordings are now essential to our Democratic process. When the public is shut out of these discussions, it’s not just a matter of missing information—it’s a matter of losing trust in our elected leaders and the democratic process


Location: Enfield, CT 06082, USA

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