Disappeared Records Of Closed Sessions

I haven't written lately about the "disappeared" records.

To tell the truth, I am not quite sure where we stand on this.

A week ago, at the Town Board's "agenda" meeting, the Town Board unsealed some records. At least two of them seemed to have been cobbled together from notes kept by the Town Attorney and a newly-discovered draft of the 9 July 2012 meeting in the possession of former mayor Bill Sage.

The binder of closed session minutes which had been kept by the Town is still missing. It was last seen by the Town Manager around July 2d and was discovered missing around July 16.

I surmise that someone with access to Town Hall removed the binder to keep it out of my hands. What that person or persons hopes to conceal is a mystery.

The Town Manager and Mayor Johnson have done their best to reconstruct the missing records, and I applaud them for the effort.

The fact remains, however, that the binder containing closed session minutes is no longer within the possession, custody and control of The Town; the accuracy of reconstructed records can't be substantiated; and there is no chain of custody. This includes records of closed sessions concerning some very sensitive personnel matters. Anyone whose affairs were discussed in closed sessions should be concerned.

As for the records I requested: nothing I received so far records legal advice given to the Town, there is no explanation of the Town attorney's legal theories and no record of any questions asked by the Town Board concerning any of the many legal issues in the case.

What is not in the record reveals more than what is in the record about the lack of oversight by the Board over the effort by the Town's attorneys.

I will have a lot more questions about that.