#1 2009-09-09 18:51:54
I was looking for information on the sunshine law and found an interesting web site. I don’t know how to hot link so I copied what I thought was interesting. If you google ma sunshine review you will find the web site. The information below was under the section what should be included on a town or city web site. These are suggestions it’s not mandatory. Steve this might be something you could use for your campaign. Sorry guys it's kind of long.
Wouldn't it be great if we had an online checkbook, I know Fin Comm would be thrilled to get this kind of information.
The city's checkbook register should be posted online. This information provided should include:
1. The amount of each payment
2. Date
3. Check number
4. To whom the payment was made (including the address)
5. Scan of Invoice or Purchase Order or Check Request (this often provides significant drilldown detail including who approved it)
6. What it was for
7. Budgetary authority for the expenditure
8. Functional expenditure category
9. Sources of funds
10. Links to the relevant contracts under which the payment was made
Audits (Financial/Performance)
If the city conducts financial and management audits to ensure that it is operating in accordance with the highest standards of financial and management competence and integrity:
•Copies of performance and financial audits should be posted on the city's website.
•Routine financial audits should be posted online.
•Evaluations of the performance of any specific agencies or commissions should be posted online.
Access to government records and public documents
The city website should include comprehensive information about how citizens can obtain access to public records in the custody of the city.
•When a citizen wants to file an open records request, which employee of the city handles those requests?
•What is that employee's contact information?
•The city website should provide this information in a very easy-to-locate position on their website.
•The city website should lay out the procedure for a citizen to follow who wants access to public records.
•The information should be user-friendly.
•The city website should include an annual rating of its FOIA compliance: How many requests did it receive in a given year, how many did it comply with, the average time required for compliance, and reasons for denials. If the city is currently being sued for failure to provide public documents, this information should be included.
•If the city has been ordered by a judge or public records ombudsman to provide documents it refused to produce in response to a public records request, this information should be a permanent record posted on the city's website.
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#2 2009-09-09 18:57:20
Wow...says it all Marny.
Thanks.
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#3 2009-09-09 22:03:45
Marny, to include a link just copy and paste the website address into your comment - the site will automatically convert it to a link. There are other ways, but that is the easiest
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#4 2009-09-09 22:10:21
marny here is the link i got from your google search..
www.sunshinereview.org/index.php/Massac … ecords_Act
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#5 2009-09-10 08:07:38
Thank you cas and Liz.
Liz.. has Larry filed a formal complaint with the state in regards to the ITA not providing the pictures?
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#6 2009-09-10 09:55:32
marny yes WE have for the dvd and for the book that the pics were in that has vanished and the ita claims never exhisted.. i have been in phone contact and written contact with the lawyer assigned to our case.. WE have a case # and everything..
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#7 2009-09-10 11:37:25
For long link addresses (aka URL's) you can shorten them here: http://tinyurl.com/
I use this frequently because some URL's are so long they break and won't work when you post them. You can also drag Tiny URL to your toolbar and copy and paste the long URL there. It will automatically make it short.
You can also use:
http://www.shorturl.com/
or any of these.
Last edited by urneighbor (2009-09-10 11:37:57)
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#8 2009-09-10 16:54:39
thank you urneighbor
Liz.. Did he say how long it would take? You would think the State could just make a phone call to the ITA and tell him to give up the information.
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#10 2009-09-10 19:22:45
marny wrote:
thank you urneighbor
Liz.. Did he say how long it would take? You would think the State could just make a phone call to the ITA and tell him to give up the information.
the lawyer sent a letter to the ita.. the ita did not answer properly by law so now the state lawyer told me he is ONLY talking with k&p which is costing $.. he did not say how long it would take..
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#11 2009-09-10 19:37:56
Flyspeck wrote:
Perhaps try this:
http://www.sec.state.ma.us/pre/prepdf/guide.pdf
Thanks, Flyspeck. I replaced the previous Public Records sidebar link with yours.
From Bill Galvin's preamble:
Laws mandating the disclosure of public records have existed in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts since 1851. The federal Freedom of Information Act was signed into law in 1966 by President Lyndon B. Johnson. In 1974, Congress amended the federal Freedom of Information Act in order to make government records more accessible to the public. The Massachusetts Public Records Law parallels federal law, with some variation. Every government record in Massachusetts is presumed to be public unless it may be withheld under one of eighteen exemptions.
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#12 2009-09-10 20:07:13
LIZdaGNOME wrote:
marny wrote:
thank you urneighbor
Liz.. Did he say how long it would take? You would think the State could just make a phone call to the ITA and tell him to give up the information.the lawyer sent a letter to the ita.. the ita did not answer properly by law so now the state lawyer told me he is ONLY talking with k&p which is costing $.. he did not say how long it would take..
Once again, in times of cutbacks, furloughs, etc., the town is costing us more money. He could have answered the letter, even if it didn't contain all the information needed. This would have at least begun a chain of interaction.
He may have dragged it out a little longer, but this is asinine.
I hope K & P is at least buying their gas and lunch in Wareham. You know, give us some of our money back? It would be nice if they would tell our illustrious BOS and ITA to stop the nonsense and do things legally so Wareham doesn't go bankrupt on legal fees. Silly me, that would be considered "ethical".
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#13 2009-09-10 20:24:17
So, what does this say about our ITA? He doesn't answer promptly (by law) and now he is costing us (the residents of Wareham) $. If all my unsolicited sources (Liz and Larry...LOL) are correct than this just makes absolutely NO SENSE!!!! I don't understand how these people can do this!!! In my professional job I would be standing at attention getting my ass chewed for being just so plainly dumb and childish. I think it is more than over due to get people like Steve Holmes elected and get this town back on track!!!! I am trying to learn more about the issues facing this town and this website has helped me learn a lot of things. I look forward to learning more and lending my support for someone who has integrity, morales and a sense of self-responsiblity!
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#14 2009-09-11 11:02:52
Welcome Nicole, when I first visited this site I was amazed at all the information I was able to find. Information that was not available anywhere else.
Liz…. Maybe you could contact Steve Urbon and tell him about the legal battle you have going on with the ITA. He could write yet another article about our current ITA and his lack of understanding of the Freedom of Information Act. Because of the ITA arrogance not only is it costing Wareham money but it is costing the State money and wasting resources.
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#15 2009-09-11 11:06:19
marny wrote:
Welcome Nicole, when I first visited this site I was amazed at all the information I was able to find. Information that was not available anywhere else.
Liz…. Maybe you could contact Steve Urbon and tell him about the legal battle you have going on with the ITA. He could write yet another article about our current ITA and his lack of understanding of the Freedom of Information Act. Because of the ITA arrogance not only is it costing Wareham money but it is costing the State money and wasting resources.
marny we have thought about that it is not just up to us there are 2 other families that had children in those pics while we are all close like family we have agreed to all stand together.. i and larry are just the voices for all 3 families..
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#16 2009-09-11 11:07:30
Marny,
We are still in the midst of it. Once it is done, Mr. Urbon has the green light to print it all. In my opinion, the ITA hasn't had an original thought since he became the ITA. If he is the one making the blunders, the Selectmen should court martial him like they did McAuliffe. If they are behind his gaffes, then they need to be dismissed or resign.
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#17 2009-09-11 11:18:28
If they hire him as TA the town is in serious trouble. I think it would be political suicide if they did hire him. The selectman are stupid but I don't think they would risk not getting re elected because of Butt Monkey.
My question is if they don't hire him, does he then go back to being assistant town Administrator? A few months back at the selectman meeting the selectman approved the assistant Town Adminstrator salary of $80,000. No way in hell is this guy worth $80,000.
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#18 2009-09-11 11:26:34
marny wrote:
If they hire him as TA the town is in serious trouble. I think it would be political suicide if they did hire him. The selectman are stupid but I don't think they would risk not getting re elected because of Butt Monkey.
My question is if they don't hire him, does he then go back to being assistant town Administrator? A few months back at the selectman meeting the selectman approved the assistant Town Adminstrator salary of $80,000. No way in hell is this guy worth $80,000.
my 2 cents theory if they hire him they can fire him and CONTROL more with noone in place...??
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#19 2009-09-11 11:46:00
LIZdaGNOME wrote:
..if they hire him they can fire him and CONTROL more with noone in place...??
Nope, that's not allowed. Setting policy ONLY. They'd have to appoint another TA/ITA. My guess is they hire him. A puppet butt monkey in the hand, is worth two in the bush.
PShooter
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#20 2009-09-11 11:47:55
PShooter wrote:
LIZdaGNOME wrote:
..if they hire him they can fire him and CONTROL more with noone in place...??
Nope, that's not allowed. Setting policy ONLY. They'd have to appoint another TA/ITA. My guess is they hire him. A puppet butt monkey in the hand, is worth two in the bush.
PShooter
either way the current ita would have to move wouldnt he??
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#21 2009-09-11 11:55:40
I guess. Isn't that what they said was the big problem with the previous TA they booted? Butt Monkey's already put his name in, so he must be willing to conform to whatever is required. If it was such a big issue before, they better clarify it as a stipulation now. They should be called the Board of Hypocrites (BOH).
PShooter
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#22 2009-09-16 21:56:53
if It appears a lot of people don`t agree with you .
take a note from other selectmen .
It doesn`t matter what you want ,
in a Election year.
Just tell them what they want to here
!
Then screw them the next year !!!!!!
take back wareham from who?
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