It is time to end the Town Council "Retreating" in Bedford

The Bedford Town Council should conduct all of its public meetings in compliance with the word and spirit of New Hampshire's "Right to Know" law, RSA-91A.

The effort put into avoiding an audience damages the public’s trust in our government's openness and transparency.

On Saturday, April 2nd, the Council will change its standard practice of televised and recorded meetings, broadcast from Town Council chambers, in favor of a Spring "Retreat".

This "Retreat" has no posted agenda, is not televised, and thus unrecorded.

It's almost as if the Council is working to avoid an audience.

Why? How is a "retreat" so different it shouldn't be broadcast? How do "retreats" align with the intent of our open public meeting laws?

The short answer is these "retreats" are murky events and don't benefit the voters.

To be sure, Bedford is not the only Town to periodically use fine-print to recede from the public view and record.

But, despite the scattered company, the practice is damaging to trust and transparency in local government and should be abandoned everywhere.

These meetings skirt the intent and spirit of NH open meeting laws as codified in RSA 91-A.

"91-A:1 Preamble. – Openness in the conduct of public business is essential to a democratic society. The purpose of this chapter is to ensure both the greatest possible public access to the actions, discussions and records of all public bodies, and their accountability to the people.”

I’ll repeat this part for emphasis "...to ensure both the greatest possible public access to the actions, discussions and records of all public bodies, and their accountability to the people.”

The notion of “retreating” as some separate or acceptable class of public meeting is not supported in law; it's simply an evasion using a technicality.

Is this an open and transparent agenda for a five-hour meeting (from the 2021 "retreat")?

https://www.bedfordnh.org/Agen...

Bedford's standard practice is to televise and record public meetings on BCTV.

These "Retreats" are less accessible than those council meetings, and thus certainly aren't the "greatest possible public access" outlined in RSA-91A.

The goal-setting discussions at these retreats are exactly the type of conversations the public should have the most access to.

The Bedford Town Council should end their literal retreat from public view, starting with their planned "Retreat" on April 2nd.

The Bedford public deserves to have the council's Spring planning be conducted the same way as work done in other meetings.

The Bedford Town Council, and all public boards, should conduct all of their meetings in compliance with both the letter and spirit of our Right to Know laws; with the "greatest possible public access".