Yesterday (Mon) the Caddo Commission had three committee meetings in the back conference room at Government Plaza.
Last year the committee meetings were held in the chambers.
Yesterday’s committee meetings were ineffective for many reasons.
Initially those present in the room had difficulty hearing all the speakers—be guests, commission staff and committee members. None of the speakers had mikes in front of them.
For those that streamed the meetings, this difficulty was even more pronounced. A quick review of the committee meeting tapes on UTUBE confirms this major deficiency.
Additionally, the streaming camera rarely focused on the person speaking,
Those attending also had difficulty in observing persons speaking.
Even after being in the room yesterday and reviewing the tape today, I could not discern many of the speakers' comments.
These meetings were violative of the spirit if not the letter of the Open Meetings Law because the verbal comments at the meetings were very difficult if not virtually impossible to hear much less ascertain as to content.
Commission President Greg Young’s rationale for having the back-room meetings is faulty at best saying this room would allow the commissioners to be more candid.
President Young is encouraged to move the meetings back to the chambers if he truly believes in government transparency. Continued backroom meetings in this format will likely engender Open Meetings law litigation against the parish.
John came to Shreveport in January of 1977 when he was transferred to Barksdale AFB.
He’s been active in Shreveport politics since deciding to make Shreveport his home.
John practiced law for 40 years and he now monitors local politics. He regularly attends Shreveport City Council and Caddo Parish Commission meetings.
John is published weekly in The Inquisitor, bi-monthly in The Forum News, and frequently in the Shreveport Times.
He enjoys addressing civic groups on local government issues and elections.