Resident alleges committee meeting closed to public; board members respond

A resident raised concerns about a buildings-and-grounds committee meeting that she said was cancelled and then rescheduled without public notice and held at a time and in a manner that prevented public attendance.

The resident said the meeting was described in correspondence as a committee meeting that was not open to the public, was not advertised in the newspaper or posted on the district website, was not livestreamed, and produced no posted minutes. She said she and two others attempted to attend but were not admitted. The resident asserted these practices violated district policy and state Sunshine Law principles and asked if the solicitor had approved the approach.

Board members responded that the event in question was a contractor presentation and building walk-through for the committee, not a public meeting as defined under the Sunshine Act. The superintendent said the session had been described as a committee meeting to committee members but was intended as a presentation to give the committee direction; she cautioned that allegations about legal violations should be made carefully. Another board member said, to set the record straight, that he did not turn the resident away at the door and described the sequence of communications that led to the resident being told she could not enter the room at that time.

No formal policy action or legal finding was made during the March 24 meeting. Board members invited residents to bring concerns to the board and said staff would address questions about public-access procedures if warranted.