Town counsel to respond to Open Meeting Law complaint over Stephen Palmer Building agreement
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Summary
The Select Board authorized town counsel to prepare a written response to an Open Meeting Law complaint about whether tenant relocation benefits tied to a Stephen Palmer Building agreement were discussed properly in open session; town counsel said the complaint did not disclose an OML violation and will prepare a defense.
The Needham Select Board on Nov. 25 authorized town counsel to prepare and submit a written response to an Open Meeting Law complaint filed Nov. 12 by a resident concerning the board’s handling of tenant relocation benefits tied to an agreement with Stephen Palmer Associates.
Town counsel Chris Heap summarized the complaint, which took issue with the process and whether a $10,000 tenant relocation benefit for Stephen Palmer Building tenants had been properly discussed in public session. Heap said he reviewed the record and did not believe the complaint disclosed a violation of the Open Meeting Law; he noted that the agreement and the subject of tenant relocation benefits had been discussed in open session at the board’s Oct. 14 meeting and in meeting materials. Heap characterized the tenant relocation benefit as closely linked to the negotiated agreement with Stephen Palmer Associates and argued that discussion of the two topics was appropriate and timely.
Board members asked clarifying questions about whether specific eligibility parameters for the $10,000 benefit (for example, cut‑off dates for eligibility or submission procedures) had been discussed in detail in public. Heap said the procedural details of administering the benefit were separate from whether the topic had been discussed publicly; he offered to prepare a draft response for the board to review. The Select Board voted to authorize town counsel to prepare and submit the response consistent with his opinion that the complaint did not disclose an OML violation.
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