Tony Adams has told friends and associates that he will run for
Loveland City Council in November. However, this aspiring
politician may have already violated the State of Colorado Sunshine
Laws by attempting to limit information being distributed or discussed
from public meetings.
According to confidential sources to LovelandPolitics.com, Adams
has inappropriately emailed all his commission colleagues and city
staff advisors in an attempt to privately decide what information from
the last CFAC "public" meeting should or should not be released to
the public. Adams is apparently unaware that in Colorado a "public
body" like the commission he serves on is not permitted to do
business in secret unless they are discussing a limited number of items
determined to be exempt from the law. Email exchanges among all
the members of the commission regarding commission business in
which three or more participate would likely constitute a violation of
the Sunshine Law.
Adams is particularly upset about the story reported on this website
regarding a public meeting and according to one colleague received a
sympathetic response from Elton Bingham who surmised no one from
the public was present at the meeting. Adams questioned the ethics
of any colleague who may have discussed the information from the
public meeting according to confidential sources to
LovelandPolitics.com.
Assistant City Manager, Rene Wheeler, is aware that at least one
member of the public was present for some part of the meeting since
she approached a volunteer photographer for LovelandPolitics.com
and inquired as to his purpose for attending the meeting.
The purpose of Colorado's Sunshine law is to provide the public
access and information to the decision making process of elected
bodies and their non-staff advisory boards or commissions.
Members of the public are allowed to record the meeting, document
the meeting and disseminate the information freely without fear of
reprisal. Efforts to prevent the distribution of such data from a public
meeting are contrary to the spirit and perhaps letter of the law.
Despite the accusations made by Adams that were reported to
LovelandPolitics.com, there is nothing unethical about the distribution
of information from a public meeting.
The complete email exchange should be released by the City of
Loveland since it was sent to the entire commission and at least three
commission members responded thus meeting the criteria defined in
the law for what constitutes a meeting of the members of a public
body. Please feel free to post you comment on the BLOG.
Loveland City Council in November. However, this aspiring
politician may have already violated the State of Colorado Sunshine
Laws by attempting to limit information being distributed or discussed
from public meetings.
According to confidential sources to LovelandPolitics.com, Adams
has inappropriately emailed all his commission colleagues and city
staff advisors in an attempt to privately decide what information from
the last CFAC "public" meeting should or should not be released to
the public. Adams is apparently unaware that in Colorado a "public
body" like the commission he serves on is not permitted to do
business in secret unless they are discussing a limited number of items
determined to be exempt from the law. Email exchanges among all
the members of the commission regarding commission business in
which three or more participate would likely constitute a violation of
the Sunshine Law.
Adams is particularly upset about the story reported on this website
regarding a public meeting and according to one colleague received a
sympathetic response from Elton Bingham who surmised no one from
the public was present at the meeting. Adams questioned the ethics
of any colleague who may have discussed the information from the
public meeting according to confidential sources to
LovelandPolitics.com.
Assistant City Manager, Rene Wheeler, is aware that at least one
member of the public was present for some part of the meeting since
she approached a volunteer photographer for LovelandPolitics.com
and inquired as to his purpose for attending the meeting.
The purpose of Colorado's Sunshine law is to provide the public
access and information to the decision making process of elected
bodies and their non-staff advisory boards or commissions.
Members of the public are allowed to record the meeting, document
the meeting and disseminate the information freely without fear of
reprisal. Efforts to prevent the distribution of such data from a public
meeting are contrary to the spirit and perhaps letter of the law.
Despite the accusations made by Adams that were reported to
LovelandPolitics.com, there is nothing unethical about the distribution
of information from a public meeting.
The complete email exchange should be released by the City of
Loveland since it was sent to the entire commission and at least three
commission members responded thus meeting the criteria defined in
the law for what constitutes a meeting of the members of a public
body. Please feel free to post you comment on the BLOG.
| Aspiring City Council Candidate and CFAC Commissioner Lashes Out Against Colleagues Confidential City Sources Tell LovelandPolitics.com |
| TITLE 24 - ARTICLE 6 - Colorado Sunshine Law 24-6-402. Meetings - open to public. (1) For the purposes of this section: (a) "Local public body" means any board, committee, commission, authority, or other advisory, policy-making, rule-making, or formally constituted body of any political subdivision of the state and any public or private entity to which a political subdivision, or an official thereof, has delegated a governmental decision-making function but does not include persons on the administrative staff of the local public body. (b) "Meeting" means any kind of gathering, convened to discuss public business, in person, by telephone, electronically, or by other means of communication. (c) "Political subdivision of the state" includes, but is not limited to, any county, city, city and county, town, home rule city, home rule county, home rule city and county, school district, special district, local improvement district, special improvement district, or service district. (d) "State public body" means any board, committee, commission, or other advisory, policy-making, rule-making, decision-making, or formally constituted body of any state agency, state authority, governing board of a state institution of higher education including the regents of the university of Colorado, a nonprofit corporation incorporated pursuant to section 23-5-121 (2), C.R.S., or the general assembly, and any public or private entity to which the state, or an official thereof, has delegated a governmental decision-making function but does not include persons on the administrative staff of the state public body. (2) (a) All meetings of two or more members of any state public body at which any public business is discussed or at which any formal action may be taken are declared to be public meetings open to the public at all times. (b) All meetings of a quorum or three or more members of any local public body, whichever is fewer, at which any public business is discussed or at which any formal action may be taken are declared to be public meetings open to the public at all times. |
| Loveland's Finance Advisory Commission meeting at issue where Adams is said to be upset over leaks to website. |