Resident urges investigation after council members spoke at committee meeting, citing Sunshine Law

Mister Valentine, a resident who addressed the St. Marys City Council during the petitions and communications period, said he was surprised the matter appeared on the agenda and urged the law director to investigate committee conduct. "When more people sit at the desk during a committee meeting, they are automatically given prominence over the others who may be in the audience," Valentine said, arguing that when four council members participate a committee meeting becomes an unlawful council meeting under the sunshine law.

Valentine said his concern arose because, he alleged, on at least three occasions over the past year a council member who was not a committee member "spoke and deliberated at a committee meeting," which he called unlawful and said should be corrected. He thanked "Miss Kilgorey" for time spent clarifying items with him and asked that his comments be included in the minutes and that the law director examine the matter.

Council leadership said council members are welcome to attend committee meetings to stay informed, but suggested visiting council members should not speak or sit at the dais while not serving as committee members. A council speaker noted two specific limits: noncommittee members should not address or deliberate at committee meetings, and they should not sit at the dais during those meetings. The council agreed to take Valentine's comments under advisement and asked the law director to review the complaint; Valentine said he already had contacted the state and wanted the city's law director to follow up.

The council did not take formal action on the complaint during the meeting. The law director's involvement was requested; the transcript records an explicit request for investigation but no formal referral or written order was recorded in the meeting minutes.

Why this matters: Committee meetings are intended to be smaller forums for focused work. If noncommittee members engage in deliberation at those meetings, state open-meeting rules can be implicated, which affects the legal validity of subsequent council votes and public transparency.