By Anne White
Tony Turner, a member and former chair of the Central Middle School Building Committee, has filed a Freedom of Information complaint against the Town Attorney’s Office. The complaint concerns a June 24 meeting where an executive session was briefly considered but never took place.
The agenda for that meeting included possible executive session discussion of contract negotiations with JLL regarding an $89,719 service amendment.
During the meeting, members debated whether entering executive session for that purpose was permitted under Connecticut’s FOI law. After discussion, the motion was withdrawn, and the committee continued entirely in open session.
The Town Attorney’s office later confirmed in an email that, because the committee did not enter executive session and the discussion occurred publicly, the matter was considered moot.
Despite this, Turner filed a complaint alleging the Town Attorney’s Office failed to provide a written opinion justifying or rejecting the session and mischaracterized the legal guidance given during the meeting.
Because the complaint names the Town Attorney’s Office, the town must now retain outside legal counsel to respond, adding cost to taxpayers over a dispute about a closed-door session that never happened. The Freedom of Information Commission will review the filing and determine next steps.
