Council Drafting Letter to AG on Open Meeting Complaint

The Town Council President and Town Solicitor will draft a letter to the Attorney General arguing that the council did not violate Massachusetts Open Meeting Law this fall when it was crafting a travel and expense policy. 

President Charles Kokoros said Monday night that he will work with Carolyn Murray to write the letter, which councilors will have a chance to review and vote on at their next meeting Dec. 17.

The council has until Dec. 20 to respond to a complaint filed by Town Clerk Joe Powers arguing that the specificity of meeting notices for Committee on Rules & Ordinance and Committee on Ways & Means meetings on Nov. 19 and Nov. 25 was not adequate. 

Councilors voted 8-0 with Ronald DeNapoli absent to draft the letter.

Powers declined to say whether he believed the AG would uphold his complaint. He said that his complaint speaks for itself, and that instead of starting by discussing it with the council, he had to put it forward through the formal process laid out by the state.

"We need to honor that process," Powers said.

The council Monday night also unanimously approved the new travel and expense policy. 

For more on that policy, see Travel Expense Policy Approved by Braintree Council

For more on the complaint, see Town Clerk Files Open Meeting Law Complaint Against Council