Lawmakers try to figure out what footage of schoolchildren should be accessible to people outside the school.
freedom of access act
Posted inLetters
Public participation is vital
Maine’s Freedom of Access Act is intended to open government by guaranteeing access to “public records” and “public proceedings” of all government bodies and agencies. It states that public notice is required for all proceedings and that public notice must be given in ample time to allow public attendance. Earlier this year, Maine’s Legislature again […]
advertisement
Posted inNews
Livermore officers are named
LIVERMORE — Selectpersons appointed two officers Monday night to cover duties held by Administrative Assistant Carrie Castonguay, who resigned recently. Amy Byron was named the Freedom of Access Act officer. She is town treasurer and was appointed interim administrative assistant and tax collector after Castonguay’s resignation. Town Clerk Renda Guild was reappointed deputy tax collector. […]
Posted inOxford Hills
Selectmen approve town manager’s contract in emergency meeting
OXFORD — Selectmen extended Town Manager Michael Chammings’ contract for five years during an emergency meeting Tuesday evening. There was little public notice of the meeting and no minutes were recorded, as required by Maine law. The contract, which was released to the Sun Journal through a Freedom of Access Act request, indicates that Chammings is […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
From 911 calls to ginseng, limits on open records increasing
AUGUSTA (AP) — Open records advocates won a big victory in 2013 when Maine’s highest court paved the way for more 911 transcripts to be released to the media. A year later, officials said they would move to make some emergency call information secret again. It would be another example of how the Legislature has chipped […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Committee seeks fixes after CDC document-shredding probe
AUGUSTA — The Legislature’s Government Oversight Committee took two more steps to deal with issues related to document-shredding at the Maine Center for Disease Control. The committee voted unanimously Friday to try to clarify and strengthen rules surrounding grant funds, such as those at the heart of the document-shredding probe. Members plan to introduce a […]
Posted inOur View
Our View: Do not create an unfair barrier to public access
On Tuesday, a working group of the municipal officials presented the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee with a handful of recommendations, including vastly increasing the cost for public access to documents under Maine’s Freedom of Access Act. A very similar proposal came before the state’s Right to Know Advisory Committee and then the Judiciary Committee last year […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Former New Gloucester town manager found missing personnel file
NEW GLOUCESTER — In mid-February, the missing personnel file of former New Gloucester bookkeeper Sandra Sacco was found, two months after she requested a copy. Former Town Manager Sumner Field III sent an email notification to the board on the discovery of the file at 1:31 p.m. Feb. 14, just 29 minutes before the start of his […]
Posted inFranklin, The Franklin Journal
Livermore board approves changes
LIVERMORE — Selectpersons have agreed to increase the photocopy charge to 50 cents and to charge $15 per hour for Freedom of Access Act requests after the first hour, Administrative Assistant Kurt Schaub said. The new rates will go into effect with the adoption of a written policy, expected at the next meeting on Oct. […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
High court to decide if 911 transcripts in Biddeford shootings will be released
PORTLAND — The Maine Supreme Judicial Court will consider Sept. 9 whether the transcripts of 911 calls made in connection with a Dec. 29 shooting in Biddeford that left two people dead and another wounded should be released. It is one of more than 20 appeals the court will consider next month. James Pak, 74, […]