Open Meetings Violations in Forney Texas

[AJ McNamara]

Who do you report open meetings violations to? Cities are required by law to put agendas on their websites if they have one. Forney never gets their Council agendas up 72 hours before the meeting and they haven't posted a planning agenda since November or a Park Board agenda since July. The web site is a joke, it's so out of date. This is a clear violation of the open meetings act. Nobody in the City Manager's office will return my phone calls and there are no email addresses or phone numbers on the website to contact city council people. What can a citizen do?

[Donna]

AJ McNamara wrote:

Who do you report open meetings violations to? Cities are required by law to put agendas on their websites if they have one. Forney never gets their Council agendas up 72 hours before the meeting and they haven't posted a planning agenda since November or a Park Board agenda since July. The web site is a joke, it's so out of date. This is a clear violation of the open meetings act. Nobody in the City Manager's office will return my phone calls and there are no email addresses or phone numbers on the website to contact city council people. What can a citizen do?

I wasn't aware the website had to be included... looks like the City of Fate might need alittle update as well. What did you discover about the violation as far as whom these things are reported to?

[Lawyer in South Texas]

The Texas Open Meetings Act ("TOMA") provides the public with a right of access to the meetings of a large number of government bodies at the state and local level in Texas. The law entitles you to notice of these meetings and gives you the ability to inspect and copy meeting minutes. For more detailed information about Texas open meetings law, please consult the Texas Attorney General's 2004 Open Meetings Act Handbook and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press's Open Government Guide: Texas.

[Resident of Port Isabel]

The city recently dedicated July 4th as Juan Castillo Day and there was a committee that apparently was formed and made these decisions with the Mayor and City Manager. Nothing was ever discussed in any meetings - until tonight after outrage on how the banner reads: Juan Castillo Day July 4th, 2009.

Residents asked to have the date changed or the wording on the banner to read - On July 4th come and welcome home Juan Castillo.........or something similar but to no avail at the meeting tonight. And apparently they are considering keeping it that way rest of the 4ths.

Does this fall under the TOMA and what can the citizens do about it?