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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>In answer to Sam's question, committee meetings are
open meetings and must abide by the open meeting law, but here's the kicker--the
Republicans continue to hold their caucuses in private and inasmuch as they are
the supermajority in the leg, they often take their votes there and when an
issue comes to the committee it's a done deal. That's particularly true
when a vote might be close or contentious. That practice has
been questioned, but no questioner has prevailed. I thought the open
meeting law covered all public entities and no discussion could be
held in secret unless it met some pretty stringent
guidelines. School boards may discuss negotiations in executive
session, so maybe the Hawkins issue falls within that limitation.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Sue H. </FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=sslund_2007@verizon.net href="mailto:sslund_2007@verizon.net">Saundra
Lund</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=moscowsam@verizon.net
href="mailto:moscowsam@verizon.net">'Sam Scripter'</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Cc:</B> <A title=vision2020@moscow.com
href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020@moscow.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, February 12, 2008 9:38
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Vision2020] Sewer
Agreement</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV class=Section1>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d">Hi MoscowSam and Other
Interested Visionaries,<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d">Thanks for the response!
I think your question is a good one I don’t know the answer to – perhaps Roger
Falen (I’ve cc’ed him my response) might have some comments? I seem to
recall that he’s got a keen interest in and understanding of ID Open Meeting
Law.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d">Awhile back (2005), I attended
a local workshop sponsored by the AG’s office regarding open meeting and
public records laws, which I found very informative! And, this is why
the whole stinkin’ (pun intended) sewer agreement folded into the water
negotiation puzzles and troubles me. Of course, I’m not a legal eagle or
attorney . . . <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d">Regardless, it seems to me
that if we, as local citizens, can’t ensure that Open Meeting law is followed
on a local level, it’s a dicey proposition to think that it will be respected
and followed on a state level. Which is why I asked the question
regarding the secret negotiations regarding the secret sewer negotiations and
agreement regarding the Hawkins development in Washington
state.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d">Saundra
Lund<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d">Moscow,
ID<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d">The only thing necessary for
the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d">~ Edmund
Burke<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d">***** Original material
contained herein is Copyright 2008 through life plus 70 years, Saundra
Lund. Do not copy, forward, excerpt, or reproduce outside the Vision
2020 forum without the express written permission of the
author.*****<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<DIV>
<DIV
style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: #b5c4df 1pt solid; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; PADDING-TOP: 3pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none">
<P class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'">From:</SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'">
Sam Scripter [mailto:moscowsam@verizon.net] <BR><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, February
12, 2008 10:52 PM<BR><B>To:</B> Saundra Lund<BR><B>Cc:</B>
vision2020@moscow.com<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Vision2020] Sewer
Agreement<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'">Please see
below, in black . . .</SPAN><BR><BR>Saundra Lund wrote: <o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="COLOR: #1f497d">Visionaries:</SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d">As I continue to try to
understand the Council’s decision, I’ve come across something else that
puzzles me, and I’m hoping someone here can help me to
understand.</SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d">My understanding is that the
City of Moscow had appealed the transfer to Hawkins of three water
rights, and the mediation was an attempt to resolve <B>that issue</B>.
Apparently, the City agreed to confidentiality in negotiations as part of that
deal.</SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d">However, why was the sewer (in
more ways than one!) part of agreement secretly negotiated and what’s the
legal authority behind removing that part of public business from public
scrutiny and public input?</SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d">To quote Idaho Attorney
General Lance Wasden:</SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d">“Open and honest government is
fundamental to a free society. The Idaho Legislature formalized our state’s
commitment to open government by enacting the Idaho Open Meeting Law in 1974.
The Open Meeting Law codifies a simple, but fundamental, Idaho value: The
public’s business ought to be done in public.”</SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'">Do committees of the
Idaho State House of Representatives and of the Idaho State Senate adhere to
the Idaho Open Meeting Law????<BR><BR>MoscowSam<BR><BR></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d">Inquiring minds want to
understand!</SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d">TIA,</SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d">Saundra
Lund</SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d">Moscow,
ID</SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d">The only thing necessary for
the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing.</SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d">~ Edmund
Burke</SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d">***** Original material
contained herein is Copyright 2008 through life plus 70 years, Saundra
Lund. Do not copy, forward, excerpt, or reproduce outside the Vision
2020 forum without the express written permission of the
author.*****</SPAN></B><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<P>
<HR>
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