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Resident urges Nottingham to adopt NDA policy to preserve transparency
Summary
A resident presented a draft policy asking the town to limit municipal use of non‑disclosure agreements, and board members agreed to forward the draft to town counsel for review.
At the public‑comment portion of the Select Board meeting, resident Charlene Anderson asked the board to consider adopting a municipal policy limiting the use of non‑disclosure agreements (NDAs) by town officials and staff. Anderson said she drafted the language based on a policy adopted in Superior, Wisconsin, and adapted it for Nottingham.
"NDAs are being used more frequently by developers with municipalities across the nation," Anderson said, arguing that when town officials sign NDAs it "reduces the amount of openness and transparency that a community has." She recommended exceptions for narrowly defined personal or confidential information (social‑security numbers, medical records) and suggested the Select Board be required to publicly note any NDA signed on the town’s behalf.
Select Board members acknowledged the proposal and noted potential loopholes (for example, broadly claimed confidential business information) and agreed to forward Anderson’s draft to town counsel to assess legal feasibility. Board members said they appreciate additional transparency measures but want legal guidance on enforceability and appropriate exceptions.
Next steps: Anderson’s draft will be provided to town counsel for review and a recommendation returned to the board.
