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It's encouraging that the city is taking quick action after questions arose over the way the city Redevelopment Authority applied the state's Sunshine Act during a recent, contentious, meeting.
The city Parks, Recreation and Landscaping Commission received a refresher on Pennsylvania's Sunshine Act during a recent meeting. The training follows criticism surrounding the Redevelopment Authority's June 10 special meeting, where residents raised concerns about the meeting's location, public access, and adherence to open meeting procedures. During a subsequent City Council meeting, several residents called for additional Sunshine Act and Robert's Rules of Order training for city officials, board members and commission chairs.
Andrea Stapleford, city solicitor, led the recent Parks, Recreation and Landscaping Commission training. is part of a citywide effort to reinforce open meeting requirements that includes the right of the public to speak before official votes are taken, the posting of meeting agendas, public comment requirements and an encouragement to err on the side of openness when deciding whether conversations constitute deliberation. Discussions involving policy or decisions should happen only during a public session.
It was inexcusable that members of the public knew more about the way open meetings should work than those who were running the meetings. As we noted in this space, what happened on June 10 – during a meeting that was of high interest involving a key downtown parcel – shouldn't happen again.
The issues raised during the June RDA meeting are concerning, but we're glad to see city officials took the public's concerns seriously enough to make sure training is being held in open session meetings. It's one thing to say there will be training. It's another to make sure the public can see the training taking place.