State Closes Joyce's Open Meeting Law Complaint

The state has closed Planning Board member Bob Joyce's complaint regarding a selectmen meeting

The PDF above shows the letter above sent to Joyce regarding the matter.

Joyce said a meeting was held in which neighbors of the proposed Center Fire Station, , were invited to and offer objections. Joyce said the meeting was attended by "several Permanent Building Committee members, four members of the Board of Selectmen," Fire Chief Mike Curran and Town Manager Paul Cohen.

Joyce argues that the public is not privy to whatever testimony was heard from the residents, which the Board of Selectmen will use in the future to make decisions.

"I believe this was an intentional violation so that the public would not be aware of any opposition to the Fire Station plan," Joyce wrote in his complaint. "I believe the Board of Selectmen violated the Open Meeting Law ... and the Permanent Building Committee may have violated the law as well."

Town Manager Paul Cohen said the invitation to meet with neighbors of the fire station came from him and his office alone, and although a quorum of selectmen were present at the meeting, it was for observational purposes and did not need to be posted as a meeting.

Cohen said the town manager is not a board and therefore did not have to abide by the Open Town Meeting law.