Following criticism, Vandergrift Council to post agendas before meetings
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Vandergrift Council plans to share agendas publicly in advance of its meetings starting in February.
The move comes in response to an outpouring of criticism Monday at council’s first meeting of the year and a critical letter from the board’s newest member.
One citizen after another approached the podium during the public comment portion of Monday’s meeting to ask why council does not provide detailed agendas to the public, something many neighboring municipalities do. About 40 people attended the meeting.
“If we’re expected to be able to comment on what’s before this council, we need to know what you’re going to discuss,” Paul Levy told council members. “Because when a vote goes on, we aren’t allowed to make a comment at that point.”
Councilwoman Karen McClarnon, who was sworn in Monday, admonished the council for what she called a lack of transparency in a letter sent to Solicitor Larry Loperfito and her fellow council members. She called on council to begin instituting public work sessions and detailed, line-item agendas.
“If council is going to have a meeting, and it is a posted public meeting, then people must have an opportunity to speak under the Open Meetings Act,” the letter reads.
But without an agenda or work sessions that are open to the public, the letter continues, people “come to speak on issues that have no relationship to the actions that council will take on that particular night because there isn’t a detailed agenda provided to them to review.”
When she didn’t get a response from any of the letter’s recipients, McClarnon posted the letter for all to read on Facebook.
Pennsylvania law does not require municipal bodies to print agendas for meeting attendees or to publish them online. Although including the purpose of a meeting is not required, it is good practice, according to the state’s Office of Open Records.
McClarnon frequently attended council meetings when she worked as a school administrator. She said she remembers feeling frustrated by the lack of information available before meetings.
“How are they going to understand what motions and voting is going to take place without a detailed agenda?” McClarnon said.
Near the end of Monday’s meeting, McClarnon made a motion requesting that either written agendas be provided to meeting attendees or that the council hold work sessions that are open to the public.
After her motion, Loperfito explained to council members that using an agenda would alter how new business could be addressed at meetings. If agendas are published at 1 p.m. on the day of a meeting, any items that come up between the agenda’s release and the meeting time would have to be reserved for the “New Business” portion of the meeting.
Loperfito said he is in favor of distributing agendas, but he doesn’t support holding work sessions.
“I don’t have a problem at all with the agenda,” Loperfito said at the meeting. “I’m not a big fan of the working sessions. There is conflicting information on those as to whether or not they’re actually conducted smoothly.”
McClarnon’s motion was seconded and passed unanimously. Beginning in February, council meeting agendas will be available on the borough website ahead of meetings.
Kathy Chvala, who was reelected to another term as council president on Monday, said publishing the agenda shouldn’t change much but it will be an adjustment for council members.
“I mean, we have an agenda,” Chvala said after the meeting. “It’s just going to be a change.”