Resident urges board to require public approval before signing NDAs

Lee Muns, representing Citizens for Open Governance, asked the board to adopt a policy requiring public oversight before county officials, employees, contractors or appointees sign nondisclosure agreements tied to county business. "When public officials and public employees are conducting public business, any agreement limiting what they may disclose should receive public oversight," Muns said, and proposed a resolution that would require NDAs to be reviewed by the county attorney, placed on a published agenda and approved in open session.

Muns asked the board to direct the county manager, county attorney and clerk of the board to prepare a comprehensive amendment to the county code within 45 days, and to have staff identify and report on existing NDAs within 30 days. He framed the proposal as consistent with the Georgia Open Records Act and Georgia Open Meetings Act; he said the review would not automatically invalidate existing agreements but would inform the board and the public about who signed NDAs and why.