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8 <br /> Opening all meetings, whether those meetings are comprised exclusively of staff or are <br /> comprised of a group that may include staff and a limited numbers of elected officials, would not <br /> be productive and would likely have a disquieting effect on what would be discussed at those <br /> staff or predominantly staff meetings. Also, opening staff or predominantly staff meetings for all <br /> transit or light rail meetings would likely lead to opening staff meetings on other topics as well. <br /> Meetings of the Orange County Board of Commissioners regarding transit issues and <br /> particularly the light rail have been open and have had high levels of public engagement for a <br /> number of years. Quarterly transit and light rail reports are provided at regular Board of County <br /> Commissioners meetings, which are always open to the public. Similarly, decisions on transit <br /> and light rail issues are only made at regular board meetings. This is a level of openness and <br /> transparency that is in excess of state open meetings laws, thoroughly engages the public, and <br /> will not change. (We have had 17 meetings from 1-1-17 — 1-30-19 where we discussed or took <br /> action on the LRT.) <br /> In conclusion, the BOCC does not have the legal authority to direct GoTriangle to open their <br /> meetings to the public. <br /> Commissioner McKee said the meeting on January 10th was not a meeting of friends <br /> over coffee for discussion. He said this group has a name and the lack of minutes is irrelevant, <br /> as there was a PowerPoint presentation at that meeting. He said the only way he got this <br /> presentation was through a public records request to GoTriangle. He said the night he made <br /> these petitions, he distinctly agreed that the open meeting law did not apply to this meeting, but <br /> morally, and because this is a divisive issue in this community, no one should be excluded from <br /> sitting in the back of a meeting and quietly listening. <br /> Commissioner Marcoplos said to Commissioner Bedford that she is welcome to contact <br /> him at any time to find out what happens at any GoTriangle meetings. <br /> Commissioner Marcoplos said one cannot say that any particular issue is deserving of <br /> changing the basic way of governing to make all meetings open. He referred to other items <br /> (detention center, ag center, etc.) and said meetings occurred in recent weeks that discussed <br /> preliminary numbers, which are no longer accurate. He said things change from day to day, <br /> and this is the type of meeting that was held at GoTriangle on January 10th, and so much was <br /> discussed that is not reflected in the basic PowerPoint, and so many things have changed since <br /> that meeting. He questions if it is good governance to make every single work session between <br /> staff and elected officials open. He said the numbers at the January 10th meeting, were not <br /> actual factual numbers, and there has to be a happy medium. He said Orange County <br /> government has always been transparent, and he finds it interesting that this concern is only <br /> being raised about LRT. He said there has to be a balance between transparency, and getting <br /> day to day work done in order to present current, factual information to the public for discussion <br /> and vote. <br /> Commissioner Marcoplos said he appreciates the passion of those opposed to light rail, <br /> but this is a tactic to slow the project down and it is not entirely about the open meetings law. <br /> He said no numbers have been hidden. <br /> Commissioner McKee said if Orange County is going to define itself as transparent, then <br /> this should apply to any meeting, not just light rail. He said he does not advocate for people to <br /> be allowed to speak at all meetings, but just for the right to attend meetings. He said any <br /> discussions, preliminary or not, should be open to the public. He said to him this is a moral <br /> issue. <br /> Commissioner Bedford suggested that the Commissioners have a facilitated meeting <br /> about their roles on different boards, and how they report back to each other, staff and the <br /> public. She said this can help to develop norms, and allow the BOCC to operate at a higher <br /> level on all issues. She said the onus should not be on her, or any Commissioner, to track <br />