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Residents urge greater packet transparency; one public commenter alleges city attorney misrepresented contacts with state agency
Summary
At public comment two residents urged better transparency in meeting packets; one also alleged the city attorney had falsely claimed a phone call and misrepresented the Oklahoma Department of Libraries' position on the library citizenship training program.
During the public-comment period at the Bartlesville City Council meeting on March 3, two residents raised concerns about transparency in council packets and questioned statements made by the city attorney.
Sarah Burnett, who identified herself as a Rolling Hills resident, asked the city to publish complete meeting packets, including presentations, ahead of council meetings so citizens can research agenda items and comment knowledgeably. “How can citizens bring comment or communicate with their counselors when there's no available info regarding the agenda items?” Burnett asked, adding that she found blank pages for agenda items 10 and 11 and requested staff commit to publishing complete packets prior to action.
Joel Rabin (identified in his remarks as living downtown) addressed an unrelated matter involving the city attorney. Rabin said the city attorney told the council at a previous meeting he had met with the director of the Oklahoma Department of Libraries (ODL) and that the ODL director told him the Bartlesville Public Library’s citizenship training program was in compliance with state regulations. Rabin said an Open Records Act request to the ODL produced records indicating no such meeting took place and that the ODL director did not tell the city attorney that the program was compliant. Rabin urged the council to address what he called a “serious ethical issue” and said he would share the ODL response with the council.
Mayor and staff responses: A council member (Mayor/manager) responded later in the meeting noting that items 10 and 11 were brought by volunteer boards and that volunteer presenters do not always provide staff reports in the packet; the mayor offered to share a copy of materials received from the task force with Burnett. No formal council action was taken in response to Rabin’s allegations during the meeting.
Why it matters: The comments raise questions about the timing and completeness of materials provided to the public for council meetings and allege potential ethical or factual misstatements by a city employee, which the commenter asked the council to address.
What’s next: Rabin said he will forward ODL records to the council. Council did not take formal action on either request at the March 3 meeting.
