Middletown Forum : Annual Council Retreat http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/ This is an XML content feed of; Middletown Forum : City Council : Annual Council Retreat Wed, 07 Oct 2026 10:38:58 +0000 Thu, 14 Jan 2010 19:23:45 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Web Wiz Forums 10.12 360 www.middletownusa.com/forum/RSS_post_feed.asp?TID=2523 Middletown Forum http://middletownusa.com/images/blog-logo.jpg http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/ Annual Council Retreat : Pacman wrote:Did we not just... http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2523&PID=15680&title=annual-council-retreat#15680 Author: Mike_Presta
Subject: 2523
Posted: Jan 14 2010 at 7:23pm

Originally posted by Pacman Pacman wrote:

Did we not just vote to amend the Charter to do away with Public Notifications of these types in the Journal and to have them on the city web site only...
Pac,
You are, as usual, correct!!!
 
Let me rephrase:
 
When was the last time anyone saw a notice in The Journal  on the City's web site for a meeting of, say, the Golf Commission???  Anyone???
 
What about, say, the Middletown Clean Community Board???  Anyone???
 
The Commission on Landmarks and Historic Structures???  Anyone???
 
If there has been notice on the City's web site for these boards/commissions, can someone kindly tell me WHERE???
]]> Thu, 14 Jan 2010 19:23:45 +0000 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2523&PID=15680&title=annual-council-retreat#15680 Annual Council Retreat : Did we not just vote to amend... http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2523&PID=15650&title=annual-council-retreat#15650 Author: Pacman
Subject: 2523
Posted: Jan 14 2010 at 7:02am

Did we not just vote to amend the Charter to do away with Public Notifications of these types in the Journal and to have them on the city web site only to save about $8-10k a year or was that for some other type of notification?  These  meetings are nothing more than a one day meeting held locally usually in the past on a Saturday morning.  Why they call it a retreat and need an outside moderator to discuss city business is beyond me.  have it at MUM in an auditorium and heavily advertise it to the Public and allow them to bring in their concerns I am sure you will have more than enough to work on for the year....but then you must have a dialog with the Public and that is a  BAD thing ......"We are not set up for." ]]> Thu, 14 Jan 2010 07:02:19 +0000 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2523&PID=15650&title=annual-council-retreat#15650 Annual Council Retreat : The only place I see these individual... http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2523&PID=15648&title=annual-council-retreat#15648 Author: VietVet
Subject: 2523
Posted: Jan 14 2010 at 6:52am

The only place I see these individual commission meetings listed is on the City Of Middletown site on the calender. Odd, when Billy Becker's Street Repair Committee was going strong, the Journal gave notification of those meetings on a regular basis, but I didn't see the Finance Committee times and dates published on an on-going basis during that same time.

Do you think Sammy A., Judy G., Annie M., Marty K. and some of the MMF boys and girls would mail us a personal invitation to their little committees if we asked them to? I know they value our input and are big fans of ours and our MUSA family. Probably so fond of us, they talk about us all the time! ]]> Thu, 14 Jan 2010 06:52:29 +0000 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2523&PID=15648&title=annual-council-retreat#15648 Annual Council Retreat : Hermes: I wasn't kidding!... http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2523&PID=15644&title=annual-council-retreat#15644 Author: Mike_Presta
Subject: 2523
Posted: Jan 14 2010 at 3:43am

Hermes:
I wasn't kidding!  These retreats ARE public meetings of the council, and they ARE open to the public.
 
By law, the "newspaper of record" (which, in this case would be The Middletown Journal) must be notified of the time and place at least 24 hours in advance.  However, that is the case for ALL regular meetings, and special meetings, of public bodies. 
 
Additionally, for a monthly fee, any citizen must also be individually notified:

ยง 208.05 PERSONAL NOTIFICATION.

Any person, upon request and upon the advance payment of the fee specified in this section, may obtain notice of any meeting, regular or special, at which any type of public business is to be discussed. Advance notice shall consist of mailing or faxing the agenda of meetings to all subscribers. To receive notification by regular U.S. mail, the subscriber must provide self-addressed, stamped envelopes, and pay, in advance, a fee of two dollars and fifty cents ($2.50) per month. To receive notification by facsimile transmission, the subscriber must pay, in advance, four dollars ($4.00) per month.
 
Heck, I was/am on the council Finance Committee and I wasn't told when/where the last couple were held.  Of course, I admit that I didn't pony up my $2.50/month.
 
So, is a "public meeting" really "public" if it is generally unknown when or where it is to be held???
 
When was the last time anyone saw a notice in The Journal for a meeting of, say, the Golf Commission???  Anyone???
 
What about, say, the Middletown Clean Community Board???  Anyone???
 
The Commission on Landmarks and Historic Structures???  Anyone???
 
And what about the "letter of the law" versus the "spirit of the law"???  The Journal is now a morning newspaper.  If a public meeting is scheduled (or the location changes) for, say, 2:00 pm on a Thursday, and The Journal is notified around 9:00 am on Wednesday (exceeding the legal 24 hour required notice), The Journal cannot publish it until Thursday morning.  Many people do not read the newspaper until the late afternoon or evening!  Too bad, so sad, you didn't need to be there anyway!  If anything happens that they want you to know about, they will mail you a citation, oops will tell you!
 
I know, I know...I'm being picky again...and we really shouldn't expect our "Public Officials" to follow the law anyway, should we??  Those silly ol' laws are just for us little people!
 
]]> Thu, 14 Jan 2010 03:43:42 +0000 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2523&PID=15644&title=annual-council-retreat#15644 Annual Council Retreat : VietVet wrote:Question for... http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2523&PID=15638&title=annual-council-retreat#15638 Author: Hermes
Subject: 2523
Posted: Jan 13 2010 at 10:34pm

Originally posted by VietVet VietVet wrote:

Question for you Mike: If Spider says that decisions are made at this retreat and the retreat is a private affair involving just council members, how does city business get discussed in a private "retreat" and not violate a Sunshine Law? Or is the business discussed at these retreats excluded from this? I thought whenever more than 3 or more councilmembers sat down, that a quorum is in effect .........- (just like what was mentioned in all of the committee meetings.) Just curious how this works.
 
 
That one slipped by all of us,but good ole Vet caught it !!!
 
Good point Vet !!!  Clap
]]> Wed, 13 Jan 2010 22:34:08 +0000 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2523&PID=15638&title=annual-council-retreat#15638 Annual Council Retreat : These retreats ARE public meetings... http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2523&PID=15632&title=annual-council-retreat#15632 Author: Mike_Presta
Subject: 2523
Posted: Jan 13 2010 at 8:20pm

These retreats ARE public meetings of the council, and they ARE open to the public.
 
I would attend myself, but they usually start around 8 AM, and I seldom stay up that late!!!  Big%20smile
]]> Wed, 13 Jan 2010 20:20:23 +0000 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2523&PID=15632&title=annual-council-retreat#15632 Annual Council Retreat : Question for you Mike: If Spider... http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2523&PID=15625&title=annual-council-retreat#15625 Author: VietVet
Subject: 2523
Posted: Jan 13 2010 at 3:42pm

Question for you Mike: If Spider says that decisions are made at this retreat and the retreat is a private affair involving just council members, how does city business get discussed in a private "retreat" and not violate a Sunshine Law? Or is the business discussed at these retreats excluded from this? I thought whenever more than 3 or more councilmembers sat down, that a quorum is in effect .........- (just like what was mentioned in all of the committee meetings.) Just curious how this works.]]> Wed, 13 Jan 2010 15:42:59 +0000 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2523&PID=15625&title=annual-council-retreat#15625 Annual Council Retreat : Forget this one Randy This is... http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2523&PID=15620&title=annual-council-retreat#15620 Author: spiderjohn
Subject: 2523
Posted: Jan 13 2010 at 3:09pm

Forget this one Randy
This is hardly a high-budget affair at some exotic locale(though I don't know this year's specifics).
It is usually very local and low-key.
Probably a non-issue.
The scary stuff is what is decided at this session.
Should be VERY interesting this year
]]> Wed, 13 Jan 2010 15:09:25 +0000 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2523&PID=15620&title=annual-council-retreat#15620 Annual Council Retreat : Perhaps Council can contract with... http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2523&PID=15618&title=annual-council-retreat#15618 Author: Mike_Presta
Subject: 2523
Posted: Jan 13 2010 at 3:04pm

Perhaps Council can contract with an ex-councilman to cater the retreat for a few thousand???]]> Wed, 13 Jan 2010 15:04:03 +0000 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2523&PID=15618&title=annual-council-retreat#15618 Annual Council Retreat : Past retreats, if my memory serves... http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2523&PID=15608&title=annual-council-retreat#15608 Author: swohio75
Subject: 2523
Posted: Jan 13 2010 at 11:14am

Past retreats, if my memory serves me correct, have usually been in a "community" room at a local institution--for example Midfirst Credit Union.  Probably don't have to pay to use the room.  Mr. Bradshaw, as indiciated in the City Manager's report, is not being paid for his services.

My guess is the major expense for the day is food and beverage--which can't amount to more than a couple hundred dollars or so. 
]]> Wed, 13 Jan 2010 11:14:19 +0000 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2523&PID=15608&title=annual-council-retreat#15608