Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Open Meetings topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council member visits Renaissance Board to explain Open Meetings Act and city recording policy
Summary
Council member Adam Blau told the Renaissance Board the city's interpretation of the Open Meetings Act supports recording municipal boards and executive-session exemptions; board members asked for legal clarifications about whether volunteer boards that don't control budgets must be recorded. The council and mayor have directed videotaping "until further notice."
Adam Blau, a Fort Thomas council member, attended the Renaissance Board meeting to explain the city's interpretation of the Open Meetings Act and to answer members' questions about a new policy to videotape municipal boards.
"Anything that has to do with any kind of city funding or budget, at all ... is required to be open," Blau told the board, summarizing his understanding of the statute and the city's approach. He said he had consulted the Kentucky League of Cities and city attorney Brandon Volker and distributed printed guidance on executive-session exemptions that might apply when discussing confidential business proposals.
Several board members said they were unsure whether the 1974 Open Meetings Act and modern recording practices were intended to apply to volunteer boards that do not see line-item budgets. One board member asked for "some context for defining open meeting, in terms of recording an open meeting," noting the law predated common recording technology. Blau and other participants responded that while volunteers may not directly handle budget entries, the board still influences city-funded events and that city leaders had decided to move forward with recording.
A board member summarized the council's position during the meeting: the videotaping policy "is something that I believe the council and mayor recently decided, which is why we're moving through with it today. And it's going in effect until further notice." Members were advised to follow up with the city attorney and the CAO for specific legal clarifications.
Blau also offered to help shield the board from public backlash when issues arise, saying the council could "fall on the sword" for appointed volunteers if needed. Board members emphasized they value transparency and expressed appreciation for the guidance and for having a council member available to answer questions.
Next steps recorded in the meeting included obtaining legal confirmation from city lawyers about the scope of the Open Meetings Act as applied to volunteer boards and clarifying which standing committees or community groups must be recorded under the municipal order.
