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Date: 12/18/2023
MONSON — During its Dec. 12 meeting, the Monson Select Board addressed a number of Open Meeting Law complaints from the previous year, stating that the Attorney General’s Office found no violations.
The complaints were brought forward by residents Roxanne Gunther and Shirley Lamb. Three complaints from Gunther involved allegations that the Select Board members had discussed material outside of an open meeting on Nov. 14, Nov. 28 and Dec. 5. The complaints stated that this was against the town’s Open Meeting Law.
In response to the Nov. 14, complaint, Select Board member Peter Warren explained that the board had not discussed the material itself but that he had asked about how the material should be presented during the upcoming meeting.
“I had a couple of different options and I was just getting a little guidance on do we do it this way, should we do it this way,” Warren stated. “There was no deliberation of anything.”
Select Board Chair Patricia Oney supported Warren’s comments, saying that she also remembered the incidents described in the complaints.
“I was letting the other two members know that there was a revised agenda and to let them know what the revisions to the agenda were. We did not discuss the subject matter of what was on there,” Oney said of the Nov. 14 complaint.
Concerning Gunther’s other complaints, Oney said both the Nov. 28 and Dec. 5, discussions were conducted appropriately in accordance with Open Meeting Law.
“Let me just say that I have offered to Mrs. Gunther on multiple occasions to speak with her about whatever issues she has and to try to save the town some time and money in having to respond to these Open Meeting Law complaints, which she has not taken me up on,” Oney stated.
“I just think people in town need to know that these Open Meeting Law complaints have resulted in a significant expenditure of staff time and taxpayer money,” Oney emphasized. “And finally, let me just say that at no time would any member of the Select Board intentionally violate the Open Meeting Law.”
The board also discussed a complaint by Lamb, which stated that two board members discussed material after the Jan. 10 meeting. In a statement read by Warren, the Attorney General’s Office confirmed that the board members did remain in the town hall after a meeting but were not speaking to each other, rather to other staff members. As a result, no Open Meeting Law violation was found.
“I have said before, if it’s a legitimate complaint, that’s fine. We need to know about it and we need to correct ourselves or whatever needs to be done,” Select Board Vice Chair John Morrell stated. “But when most of them are nonsense and we’re spending a lot of money on town counsel, trying to answer people back … it’s a big waste of money for the town.”
Oney went on to highlight that of the 25 Open Meeting Law complaints submitted to the town, no violations have been noted by the Attorney General’s Office.