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Governmental bodies are required to keep accurate written minutes of all of their meetings.

April 27, 2008 By theszak

ENSE PETIT PLACIDAM SVB LIBERTATE QVIETEM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F…

http://en.wikipedia.org/

wiki/Flag_of_Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth

Public Records Division

Alan N. Cote

Supervisor of Records

pre at sec.state.ma.us

One Ashburton Place, 17th Floor

Boston, Massachusetts 02108

617 727-2832

fax 617 727-5914

http://www.sec.state.ma.us/arc…

http://www.sec.state.ma.us/

arc/arcrmu/rmuidx.htm

April 24, 2008

SPR08/026

Mr. Jeff Conley

Boston Finance Commission

152 North Street

Boston MA 02113

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Boston_Finance_Commission

http://en.wikipedia.org/

wiki/Talk:Boston_Finance_Commission

jeff.conley at cityofboston.gov

Dear Mr. Conley:

     I have received a petition appealing the response of the Boston

Finance Commission (Commission) to a January 15, 2008 public records

request.  G. L. c. 66, s 10(b) (2006 ed.) (Supervisor of Public

Records has authority to resolve public records appeals);

see also 950 C.M.R. 32.08(2) (appeal process).

http://www.sec.state.ma.us/pre…

http://www.sec.state.ma.us/

pre/prepdf/pubreclaw.pdf

Specifically requested Commission meeting minutes.

     “Public records” is broadly defined to include all documentary

materials or data, regardless of physical form or characteristics,

made or received by any officer or employee of any town of the

Commonwealth, unless falling within a statutory exemption.

G. L. c. 4, s 7(26) (2006 ed.)

http://www.sec.state.ma.us/pre…

http://www.sec.state.ma.us/

pre/prepdf/pubreclaw.pdf

     Governmental bodies are required to keep

accurate written minutes of all of their meetings. G. L. c. 66, s 5A.

http://www.sec.state.ma.us/pre…

http://www.sec.state.ma.us/

pre/prepdf/pubreclaw.pdf

It is consistent with the underlying policy behind both the Open

Meeting Law and the Public Records Law that these minutes must be made

readily accessible to the public.

See G. L. c. 39, s 23B;

http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws…

http://www.mass.gov/

legis/laws/mgl/39-23b.htm

G. L. c. 66, s 10(a).

http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws…

http://www.mass.gov/

legis/laws/mgl/66-10.htm

While a records custodian may assess a fee for the provision of public

records, the fee charged should not serve as a deterrent for the

requestor to access public records. See Globe Newspaper Co.

v. Boston Retirement Bd., 388 Mass. 427, 436 (1983).

http://masscases.com/cases/sjc…

http://masscases.com/

cases/sjc/388/388mass427.html

     Minutes of meetings should be provided without delay at a

minimum cost, if any.

This office encourages records custodians to waive fees associated

with the provision of meeting minutes given that disclosure is

incontrovertibly in the public interest.

     You are hereby ordered to release the responsive minutes in

accordance with this determination. Accordingly, I will consider this

matter closed.

Very truly yours,

Alan N. Cote

Supervisor of Records

pre at sec.state.ma.us

http://www.sec.state.ma.us/arc…

http://www.sec.state.ma.us/

arc/arcrmu/rmuidx.htm

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Filed Under: User Tagged With: boston-finance-commission, foi, freedom-of-information, open-government, open-meetings, public-records, sunshine

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