JOEY G. DAUBEN
The Ellis County Press
PALMER – The Palmer City Council, I believe, broke the Open Meetings Act again and this time it’s on video (c/o Palmer resident Jim Bradley.)
At issue on Tuesday, Dec. 15, was what the city council went behind closed doors to discuss. Here’s the agenda item language (verbatim):
Motion to move from Open City Council Session into Executive Session pursuant to:
a. Section 551.071: Consultations with Attorney: about cause number 09-C-3516.
Nowhere does it state what the executive session was to consult the attorney for. Was it personnel matters?
Was it a real estate transaction? Was it possible, potential or current litigation?
It doesn’t say, which is why I, as a member of the free and First Amendment-protected press, objected publicly and threatened to stop the meeting (again, all on video) due to an apparent violation of the Open Meetings Act occurring right in front of my eyes.
Mayor Lance Anglin, council members Jeff Vick, Kenneth Bateman, Tony Roybal and Dianne Drewery stood frozen as I rambled on and on about the apparent lawbreaking.
Councilman Greg Penny was nodding in agreement at one or two instances as if to say, "He’s correct."
If I see an apparent and brazen violation of state law in an open meeting or on tape or whatever, ‘I’m not going to be like lap dog media wimps and just sit idle.
To his credit, the Palmer Post representative, Bradley, agreed as well, and he spoke to City Attorney Larry Jackson after the meeting had ended.
It’s a clear violation, in my view, of the state law that regulates open meetings.
Since County/District Attorney Joe Grubbs refuses to pursue any case against any public official for any sort of violation short of running over someone or outright embezzlement, complaining to local prosecutors is of no use.
Therefore, were left with the local newspapers that will actually print the truth. How much longer before people in Palmer wake up and want to move forward?
