Town Pursues 'More Transparency' in Website, Meeting Materials

New Canaan taxpayers soon will have far greater accessibility to more detailed information about what's discussed at public meetings.

The so-called "public packet"—that is, a detailed description and backup materials related to each agenda item at a public meeting, already made available to members of public boards and commissions—soon will be made available to all on the town website.

As it is, what's posted online are agendas and meeting minutes alone, Pam Flynn, executive assistant to the first selectman, said Friday morning at a special meeting of the Board of Selectmen, held at the New Canaan Police Department.

"This would certaily give residents a chance to review and examine, take a look at information before meetings," Flynn said.

"Access to information and transparency are important," she said.

Flynn said she's spoken with officials in Greenwich's first selectman's office, which already provides public packets online. Access to information and transparency has been a struggle for some nearby municipalities, such as Darien.

In New Canaan, some materials—such as information related to legal or personnel matters—will not be made public.

It isn't clear just when the new information will become available online or how many public boards and commissions will adopt it immediately. Flynn mentioned the Town Council and Board of Finance, and said that right now, officials are sorting through the data that will be made available and migrating the relevant material to PDF format.

Flynn said she's aiming to post the public packet of Board of Selectmen meetings at least two days before meetings.

"It’s really just taking steps forward to commit to transparency," Flynn said.