Bangor advisory committee receives Freedom of Access Act training as members debate quorum rules

City Solicitor David (Dave) Stepchak gave a training on the state Freedom of Access Act and related public-meeting rules during a Parks, Recreation and Harbor Advisory Committee meeting in Bangor. Committee members discussed how the statute, Robert's Rules of Order and the city's ethics code apply to advisory committees after just four members attended the session.

The training focused on two core purposes of the Freedom of Access Act, Stepchak said: to ensure public bodies take actions openly and to ensure public records are open for inspection. "Its underlying theme is that public proceedings exist to aid in the conduct of the people's business," Stepchak said.

Stepchak reviewed how the law applies to advisory committees. He noted the ordinance establishing the advisory committee calls for 11 members, which creates a quorum of six; because there are…