The plaza outside of Albany City Hall was a sunny and presumably safe place on Sunday afternoon.
The Oregon legislature has given local governing boards another reason to hold executive sessions closed to the public. If the governor signs the bill, executive sessions will be allowed to consider the safety of elected officials, staff, volunteers and the security of facilities where they work.
As of Sunday night, Gov. Tina Kotek had not yet signed HB 2806. But in case she does by Monday afternoon, the agenda for the Albany City Council’s 4 p.m. work session includes a “potential executive session” as the bill would allow.
The bill allows the public to be excluded from meetings “to consider matters relating to the safety of the governing body and of public body staff and volunteers and the security of public body facilities and meeting spaces.”
Ahead of the potential executive session, Police Chief Marcia Harnden is on the agenda for an oral “safety presentation.”
The bill also allows executive sessions to discuss cybersecurity, which has acquired greater urgency since a number of local governments have been hit with attacks that put their computer systems out of action.
The bill passed both the Oregon House and Senate without opposition.
At hearings, supporters included the cities of Corvallis and Medford, as well as the Association of Oregon Counties and the League of Women Voters.
Letters in support of the bill argued that closed-door meetings to discuss safety and cybersecurity were necessary in order to deprive “bad actors” of information they might use.
“Executive sessions on cybersecurity could help a public body better understand the shortfalls of its digital security without showing bad actors where to look,” Corvallis Mayor Charles Maughan wrote to legislators.
You’d think, though, that “shortfalls of digital security” are fixed before they are laid bare in a meeting with a bunch of people like a city council or school board, whether the session is closed to the public or not. (hh)
Update: The potential executive session was not held. But Chief Harnden spent about an hour and 20 minutes giving the council a presentation on personal safety, including all the things people shouuld do to stay out of harm’s way, to protect themselves if attacked, and what to do when confronted with an “active shooter” in the workplace. You can watch her presentation on YouTube.
In a closed meeting, they can discuss whatever they want. Who’s to know?
News reporters would know, because in most cases media types have to be allowed to sit in and watch.
And what would happen if you reported what happened in said “secret” meetings?
ORS 192.660 should be renamed, “Closed-door secret sessions permitted on any matter.”
“Executive session” is government-speak for “secret.”
And I thought “bad actor” meant a Hollywood celebrity who is unconvincing in their role.
My bad.
We now know it means whatever local government says it means, i.e., another citizen thrown into the city’s “basket of deplorables.”
Good! Hope they come to a more practical solution than they do with real estate purchases.
You have to ask yourself why? This sounds like an attempt to silence people who disagree with a School Board in Virginia.
As I recall, you were censured for trying to let the citizens of Albany know how the other City Council members/Mayor were trying to stick it to us.
I was never censured, there was a group of wakadoodles who tried to but no councilor would oblige.
this council is not the beginning of this movement, it came from the state. And while I could think of an instance where it could be reasonably used, I would advise the Council to avoid it at all cost because said use is the Kryptonite of the Public trust or lack thereof. People make enough assumptions as it is, Using this would just go to confirm their suspicions.
It was Dick Olsen whom the previous council needlessly criticized in connection with a closed meeting.
Hasso, I do not think anybody confuses Dick Olsen and myself, I think he was referring to Kolko’s gang of 60:)
Thanks for the clarification.
Actually, as Councilor Ray Kopczynski reminded me by email, it wasn’t the whole council. It was Councilwoman Bessie Johnson who, as then chair of the council acting as the Albany Revitalization Agency, read a letter reprimanding Olsen on Nov. 28, 2022.
“Safety” hmmm… well that’s a broad spectrum umbrella of many interpretations of said council members… suspicious much??
This sounds like a perfect environment for the public to be hand tied, and unaware/unable to voice their opinion, or have input!
Not a fan!
Hold the meetings virtually at a secured, undisclosed location. Options exist that don’t exclude the public.
1930s-1940s Europe all over again. BEWARE of your governing leaders. The “new era” is upon us.