News Article: Possible Open Meeting Law violation

[The Feckless Puck]

http://www.azcentral.com/story/news...l-members-violated-open-meeting-law/12956523/

Click to read more...

 

[Howler Scores]

The deal isnt in jeopardy, it was voted for and negotiated during the meeting in which it was passed. It was also available for public comment. However, the Councilmembers may receive training and fines as described below.

#Coyotes co-owner, president & CEO Anthony LeBlanc on an AZ Republic report that open meeting law may been violated during arena lease negotiations with City of Glendale: "We have no comment on this matter. This is an issue that deals solely with elected officials and has no impact on our agreement."

https://twitter.com/cmorganfoxaz

Examples of other violations

AZ AG Horne: Quartzsite council violated open meeting law

– The Council will discuss the concerns listed in this letter with its legal counsel in open session during a properly noticed public meeting.
– Each member of the Council and staff will participate in a training session with counsel from the League of Arizona Cities and Towns regarding the requirements of the Open Meeting Laws.
– The Council will be subject to oversight by the Attorney General’s Office for a period of twelve months.

http://seeingredaz.wordpress.com/20...quartzsite-council-violated-open-meeting-law/

Jerome council atones for violations

He also said that the council decided that the current council has already met the AG's requirement of attending a minimum of two hours of workshops or seminars on Open Meeting Law.

http://verdenews.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&subsectionID=1&articleID=29531

Nogales City Council Found in Violation of Open Meeting Law

Nogales City Council members John Jackson, Armando Lopez, Jose Padilla, Arturo Garino, Nubar Hanessian and Mayor Octavio Garcia-Von Borstel will each pay a $250 penalty to the City of Nogales general fund.
The Nogales City Council will review the investigation’s findings and recommendations during its next City Council meeting and formally accept the findings. The Council must also make copies of the findings available to the public at the meeting and invite public discussion.
The City of Nogales will hire a compliance officer for a period of one year. The compliance officer must be approved by the Attorney General’s Office, and at the end of one year the officer must issue a report on whether the Council remained in compliance with the Open Meeting Law.
All City Council members will participate in Open Meeting Law training.

https://www.azag.gov/press-release/nogales-city-council-found-violation-open-meeting-law

 

[The Feckless Puck]

Thanks for the clarification. Topic title was created based on this excerpt from the article:

Violations of the Open Meeting Law can rescind actions taken by elected officials, which could potentially void Glendale's deal with the team, which was then called the Phoenix Coyotes.

The was because it seems like no matter what happens we can't seem to escape from this crap.

This is one of the very few times I envy Maple Leafs fans.

 

[Howler Scores]

Thanks for the clarification. Topic title was created based on this excerpt from the article:

Most people think that after reading the article, its clearly the theme of the article and designed for a click-through. However if they spent time researching, they would have seen it would only apply if they approved the deal in executive session/behind close doors; it was approved in public.

I have only spent a day on the issue, but from what I have found, a violation has been accused on an average of once per month in Arizona. Most are against public boards or councils and the resolutions are usually not publicized. I was only able to find a few documented cases were public individuals were convicted of the law and the worst punishment was what happened in Nogales. For the most part, the members have to make a public statement saying they are sorry, attend a class, and they are monitored for a year by the state.

 

[Howler Scores]

Actually, this is the third alleged "violation" of the Open Meeting Law to be reported since that meeting occured. Here are the other ones:

AG closes Open Meeting Law probe of Glendale

The Arizona Attorney General’s Office closed its investigation into whether the Glendale City Council members violated the state Open Meeting Law when they held serial closed-door meetings with National Hockey League executives and the prospective buyers of the Phoenix Coyotes on May 28.

http://www.azcentral.com/community/...g-closes-open-meeting-law-probe-glendale.html

AG dismisses meeting-law complaints against Glendale

The Arizona Attorney General’s Office dismissed complaints from two West Valley residents who alleged that two Glendale City Council members violated the state’s Open Meeting Law.

Council members Norma Alvarez and Ian Hugh did not break the law when they discussed proposals to operate Jobing.com Arena during a public meeting on June 28, according to a Sept. 5 letter from Assistant Attorney General Christopher Munns to the city. The Arizona Republic obtained the letter through a public records request.

http://www.azcentral.com/community/...-meeting-law-complaints-against-glendale.html

I am sure the Attorney General's Office is getting sick of these accusations that occurred during one meeting last year. How many more times will someone bring up this?

 

[GiveAFlyingPuck]

I'm sure it got the BoH relocationist's hopes up.

 

[letowskie]

Think this is going to be OK, nothing to worry about except for the city officials who might have some explaining to do.

I just hope that the goldwater ppl don't somehow weasel their way back in there.

 

[Howler Scores]

I just hope that the goldwater ppl don't somehow weasel their way back in there.

The Arizona Free Enterprise Club is now fighting Glendale on everything. Some of the GWI Board members joined up with this club and I believe most of the lobbying has been from AFEC since GWI started getting into trouble since they cant lobby (has to do with non-profit status).

Whats interesting is that the Dback's owner's wife is no longer listed with AFEC. Instead of Board members, they list "Founding Members". I firmly believe a lot of their issues is because Moyes (part-owner of the dbacks) is pushing the Kendricks to fight Glendale in hopes of upping ticket sales to the Dbacks with the demise of the Coyotes (how about you field a decent team first). However, they want to keep their names out of the papers and are using other "Clubs" to do it.

Here is the new link:

http://www.azfree.org/founding-members/

Here is the old link showing Randy:

http://archive.today/xNrWt

And she is still listed as with GWI:

http://goldwaterinstitute.org/board-directors

 

[letowskie]

The Arizona Free Enterprise Club is now fighting Glendale on everything. Some of the GWI Board members joined up with this club and I believe most of the lobbying has been from AFEC since GWI started getting into trouble since they cant lobby (has to do with non-profit status).

Whats interesting is that the Dback's owner's wife is no longer listed with AFEC. Instead of Board members, they list "Founding Members". I firmly believe a lot of their issues is because Moyes (part-owner of the dbacks) is pushing the Kendricks to fight Glendale in hopes of upping ticket sales to the Dbacks with the demise of the Coyotes (how about you field a decent team first). However, they want to keep their names out of the papers and are using other "Clubs" to do it.

Here is the new link:

http://www.azfree.org/founding-members/

Here is the old link showing Randy:

http://archive.today/xNrWt

And she is still listed as with GWI:

http://goldwaterinstitute.org/board-directors

Thx for the info.

I don't live in PHX, so I'm not usually up to date on these local dealings.

 

[SniperHF]

Wow somehow AZCentral managed to make their website layout even worse. Didn't think that was possible.

Also I feel it's worth pointing out that just because a mayor says someone violated the law doesn't necessarily mean they did. Though they probably did in this particular case.

 

[TheLegend]

Thanks for the clarification. Topic title was created based on this excerpt from the article:



The was because it seems like no matter what happens we can't seem to escape from this crap.

This is one of the very few times I envy Maple Leafs fans.

The AZ Republic likes to drop innuendos without thoroughly researching things first. If the movie "Absence of Malice" were to be filmed today.... the AZR could serve as set for the entire production.

 

[TheLegend]

Wow somehow AZCentral managed to make their website layout even worse. Didn't think that was possible.

They went to USA Today's site format (since Gannett owns both).

Totally sucks.

 

[TheLegend]

The Arizona Free Enterprise Club is now fighting Glendale on everything. Some of the GWI Board members joined up with this club and I believe most of the lobbying has been from AFEC since GWI started getting into trouble since they cant lobby (has to do with non-profit status).

Whats interesting is that the Dback's owner's wife is no longer listed with AFEC. Instead of Board members, they list "Founding Members". I firmly believe a lot of their issues is because Moyes (part-owner of the dbacks) is pushing the Kendricks to fight Glendale in hopes of upping ticket sales to the Dbacks with the demise of the Coyotes (how about you field a decent team first). However, they want to keep their names out of the papers and are using other "Clubs" to do it.

Here is the new link:

http://www.azfree.org/founding-members/

Here is the old link showing Randy:

http://archive.today/xNrWt

And she is still listed as with GWI:

http://goldwaterinstitute.org/board-directors

Don't agree with the notion the DBacks ownership is moving to stymie the Coyotes.

DBacks do more to promote the Coyotes and give them exposure than the other two pro franchises in town combined.

 

[Sinurgy]

Wow somehow AZCentral managed to make their website layout even worse. Didn't think that was possible.

Also I feel it's worth pointing out that just because a mayor says someone violated the law doesn't necessarily mean they did. Though they probably did in this particular case.

Geez you're right, I hadn't noticed since I stopped visiting the site sometime ago after they started having that stupid X number of free articles per month countdown thing.

 

[CC96]

Geez you're right, I hadn't noticed since I stopped visiting the site sometime ago after they started having that stupid X number of free articles per month countdown thing.

Just delete cookies Sin, and then boom, problem solved.

 

[ClassLessCoyote]

Another garbage article from AZCentral?

 

[RABBIT]

"Ownership Thread Part V"...

 

[XX]

So is it bad when laws are skirted or violated in the name of private business, or good? Make up your minds guys.

The team stayed largely because promises and details could be discussed behind closed doors.

Hockey 1, democratic process 0.

 

[Dirty Old Man]

So is it bad when laws are skirted or violated in the name of private business, or good? Make up your minds guys.

The team stayed largely because promises and details could be discussed behind closed doors.

Hockey 1, democratic process 0.

If they stayed another 5 years due to corrupt politicians...hey, after ~50 years I finally benefited from corrupt politicians! Fair play to them.

If it was my city, I *might* be more upset.

It's not my city. I pick my battles.

edit: my real point is this - all these things can be fixed someday, and maybe we'll look back on this as 'that long dark period when shady things happened and we *almost* lost the team, but we didn't...'. But if the team leaves, for any reason, that's forever - they're never coming back in my lifetime. Game over.

 

[KG]

Really on an non-emotional level every citizen should really oppose public funding for sports complexes. There's a good amount of scholarship suggesting that the return on investment is not there. It's a pride thing for people more than anything.

 

[Dolemite]

Pfft. Here's a shorter and better summation.

It's election season and the COG is taking yet another opportunity to throw the former regime under the bus to boost their re-election bids.

 

[rt]

Clearly we are headed for Saskatoon.

 

[rt]

So is it bad when laws are skirted or violated in the name of private business, or good? Make up your minds guys.

The team stayed largely because promises and details could be discussed behind closed doors.

Hockey 1, democratic process 0.

Meh. Don't care about Glendale.

 

[0point1]

It's amazing all the vultures that come out online when Glendale and the Coyotes are mentioned. The happiness in their words when they see any bad news (or even fake bad news like this) about the Coyotes is really odd, almost obsessive. Get over it people.

 

[ClassLessCoyote]

It's amazing all the vultures that come out online when Glendale and the Coyotes are mentioned. The happiness in their words when they see any bad news (or even fake bad news like this) about the Coyotes is really odd, almost obsessive. Get over it people.

That and those who use the Alarmist/Mouthpiece for the Taxpayers of Glendale schtick come out from hiding as well.