The Burlington city council appears likely to vote this evening to release a secret document that it had refused two weeks ago to make public.
Written last year by an assistant city attorney, the legal opinion is said to argue that a Church Street Marketplace no-trespass ordinance does not violate rights guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution.
The city council voted 8-5 at its June 10 meeting against releasing the memo. Councilors in the majority said the document should be treated as confidential on the grounds of attorney-client privilege. In this instance, the city council was said to be the client of the city attorney.
But at least three councilors who voted in favor of keeping the memo secret have indicated they will change their votes when the issue comes before the council again this evening. Republican Paul Decelles (Ward 7), Democrat Tom Ayres (Ward 7) and Independent Karen Paul (Ward 6) say they will join the five Progressive-aligned councilors in supporting release of the document.
Such a turnaround would come as an embarrassment to the administration of Mayor Miro Weinberger. While the mayor has repeatedly pledged to conduct city business in a “transparent” manner, the city attorney’s office had defended the secrecy of the memo. It appears that at least a few of his allies on the city council are now poised to abandon Weinberger on this issue. And if the council does vote to release the memo, the public will learn whether there are embarrassing aspects of it that led the administration to insist it remain secret.
Pictured above: City Councilor Jane Knodell (P-Ward 2) at a press conference Monday morning.
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Who appointed Jared Carter to anything?
Oh, I forgot, he did.