State to School Committee: Announce Release of Meeting Minutes

The state Attorney General's Office reminded the Melrose School Committee last summer that when executive session minutes are released, the committee must announce their availability, according to a letter released this week by the state.

The letter closes an Open Meeting Law complaint filed with the Attorney General Office's Division of Open Government by resident Maryan Hollis, a regular attendee of School Committee meetings.

Hollis filed the complaint in followup to another complaint she had filed that resulted in the from two meetings held in the fall of 2010.

The committee released those minutes shortly after the Attorney General's order, according to a letter from Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Sclarsic dated Jan. 10, 2012 (PDF attached), but did not announce the minutes' release at an open meeting, as required by state law.

The Attorney General's Office then discussed that requirement with Mary Jo Hollender, the committee's counsel, around June 22 and the committee made a public announcement regarding the release of the minutes during its July 12 meeting. The committee has made similar announcements at meetings since then.

This week's letter states that the Attorney General's Office now considers the matter closed and is "satisfied that the Committee has now complied with our May 4, 2011 order.

"Where, as occurred here, a public body takes corrective action in response to a complaint filed with that body, we strongly encourage complainants to reconsider whether further review by this office remains necessary," the letter said. "As a final matter, we remind the Committee and other public bodies of the importance of announcing the release of any executive session minutes during an open session meeting. Without such an announcement, the public has no means of knowing that such records are available."

Melrose Patch contacted last year's committee Chairwoman Margaret Driscoll and current Chairwoman Kristin Thorp for comment; they emailed a joint statement.

"The Melrose School Committee works very hard to honor the letter and spirit of Open Meeting Law," Thorp and Driscoll's statement read. "This matter is now considered closed by the Attorney General's office. Among our many responsibilities and initiatives, we are focusing our efforts on finding the best possible superintendent candidate to continue improving the educational experience to which Melrose students are entitled."