Activists want Talawanda school board meetings recorded, posted online

Talawanda school board members were urged during a recent meeting to revisit a recommendation to videotape all meetings for posting online.

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Prue Dana, of the Oxford League of Women Voters, read a letter during the public participation portion of Monday’s school board meeting in response to a vote two months ago to not pursue videotaping of meetings.

Dana said the League of Women Voters requests board meetings be videotaped and posted online “for all our citizens to be informed and aware of all actions by their elected officials in open, transparent, public meetings.”

“This request is consistent with our fundamental principles. The League of Women Voters believes that our democratic society depends upon informed and active participation in government,” she said. “Such informed and active participation in local public institutions, such as school districts, requires that citizens have adequate notice of proposed actions and are welcome at open and accessible meetings.”

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Technology advances have made broader access opportunities available, she said.

“Those who cannot attend the monthly meetings in person for a variety of reasons may still want to be informed,” Dana said, citing the city’s posting of City Council, Board of Zoning, and Planning Commission meetings online.

The idea of videotaping Talawanda school board meetings has been brought up several times by board member Patrick Meade. During a July 16 meeting, he made a motion to provide video and audio taping of meetings available, which drew a second from board member Chris Otto.

There was little discussion of the topic and the board voted 3-2 against the motion, with affirmative votes from Meade and Otto.

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