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Public commenter faults commission over expired police union contract; commission declines discussion citing FOIA
Summary
John Levin told the Norwalk Board of Police Commissioners that an expired police officers union contract included an inappropriate provision and said the commission had not responded to his prior concerns; the presiding officer stopped the comment, saying the issue is not on the agenda and raising Freedom of Information Act limits.
John Levin told the Norwalk Board of Police Commissioners during the March 17 public comment period that a police officers union contract had expired about nine months earlier and that he had raised concerns to the commission previously without receiving a response.
Levin said he had "submitted my concerns to this commission on previous occasions" and added that he believed an "obvious and glaringly inappropriate provision in the existing contract should be removed." The meeting presiding officer interrupted Levin and asked him to stop, saying the topic was not on the agenda and that discussing it would violate the Freedom of Information Act because the public had not been notified of the item.
The presiding officer did not allow the commission to discuss Levin’s claim during the meeting. Later in the session the mayor explained that the city is negotiating with five municipal unions through attorneys and that there are legal limits on what can be disclosed during active contract negotiations; the mayor encouraged anyone seeking more information to contact him but noted those limits.
No formal action or public response to Levin’s specific contract allegations was taken during the meeting.
