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Commissioners ask law director to investigate possible Open Meetings Act breach after Claxton donation photo op
Summary
Commissioners voted unanimously to have the law director review whether Conservation Board members who accepted a Claxton playground donation and participated in a photo opportunity did so in violation of the Tennessee Open Meetings Act and to report back to the full commission.
Commissioners at the Anderson County operations committee asked the law director on June 8 to investigate whether members of the Conservation Board violated the Tennessee Open Meetings Act by accepting a donation and appearing in a photo opportunity after a scheduled June 1 meeting had been canceled.
"We have a violation of the Tennessee Open Meetings Act," Commissioner Wandelle said, urging corrective action and a "cure meeting" that would invite the public and explain why notification was missed. Wandelle said he learned about the donation from media coverage and from constituents and told the committee he was "bothered" that members appeared with a check after the meeting had been canceled earlier that morning.
Committee members said the initial agenda for the Conservation Board was published May 27. The committee's deputy clerk canceled the meeting on the morning of June 1, according to the operations packet. Commissioners said media coverage later showed several board members with a large symbolic check and a press photo, prompting questions about whether formal meeting notice and public access rules were followed.
One committee member who said they were present described the gathering as a photo opportunity rather than a called meeting: the speaker said no call to order occurred and there was no deliberation or action taken, but the photo and media release followed. The committee discussed that even a photo opportunity involving multiple board members can raise Open Meetings Act concerns if it amounts to deliberation or a quorum meeting without public notice.
Commissioner Wandelle moved that "the law director report back to us his findings on the violation of the Tennessee Open Meetings Act by the Conservation Board." The motion was seconded and approved unanimously.
The committee instructed the law director to compile a timeline of events, confirm whether deliberation occurred, and recommend next steps, including whether a formal cure meeting or other remedial actions are required. The chairman clarified the law director's report should go to the full commission.
The mayor and other commissioners expressed gratitude for the donation to the Claxton community while insisting the county must be mindful of Open Meetings Act requirements. The law director indicated he would review the record and return with findings.
Next steps: the law director will investigate and report to the commission; if a violation is found, commissioners said the conservation board should hold a cure meeting with proper notice and a stated reason for the corrective session.
