Summary
By 3–2 votes each, the commission directed the town attorney to provide a concise monthly summary of all active lawsuits filed against the town and the town clerk to provide a monthly list of public‑records requests made by elected or appointed town officials. Both measures carried after public debate and tie questions about transparency and staff
The Town Commission on Aug. 20 voted to require two new monthly disclosure items be added to regular commission meeting packets: a concise report on active lawsuits filed against the town and an itemized list of public‑records requests generated by elected or appointed town officials.
What passed: Commissioner Anna Butler moved that the town attorney present a short monthly summary of active lawsuits — including the suit’s nature, who filed it, the case status and the town’s financial exposure or invoiced legal costs to date. The motion passed 3–2.
A separate motion, also moved by Commissioner Butler and passed 3–2, directed the town clerk to prepare a monthly report that lists public‑records requests submitted by elected and appointed officials and describes what documents were requested and by whom. The town clerk confirmed the municipal records system can generate month‑by‑month request logs and said staff will prepare a practicable report format. Commissioners asked that the report avoid undue staff burden; the clerk said she will assess whether the system can export the requested fields and return a practical format to the commission.
Why it matters: Commissioners framed the measures as transparency tools to help residents and the commission track litigation costs and the volume of official records requests. Several public commenters objected to perceived targeting of individual officials and warned the measures could be used for political pressure. The commission majority said the public interest in accountability and fiscal visibility justified the monthly reports.
Implementation notes: The town attorney said he would include succinct descriptions and that attorney‑client privileged material will be excluded from public summaries as required by law. The clerk said she will test the records system for an efficient monthly export and report back with a recommended layout.
