Earlier today we came across a press release that we must have missed earlier in the week about, yet again, the City Council not videotaping their council meetings.

The release was from Tom Casey, Troy Republican Committee chairman, and is posted below.

Council's Continuing Failure to Tape Meetings Hurts Troy Residents

"The Democratic majority of the Troy City Council is failing to keep Troy residents informed due to their refusal or inability to videotape council meetings, said Troy Republican chairman Tom Casey.

The meeting tonight will be the fourth meeting the City Council Democrats have failed to videotape. The council is responsible for videotaping meetings, a practice started in 2004 when Time Warner stopped videotaping meetings. Under the current arrangement, videotapes of the meetings are supposed to be provided by the council to Time Warner for subsequent broadcast.

Many Troy residents depend on the broadcasts of the meetings to stay informed, noted Casey. Republican Councilman Mark Wojcik raised the issue late in 2008, asking the council to once again begin taping the meetings.

'The Democratic council is failing to keep Troy residents informed by failing to tape council meetings for broadcast. It is shameful that they have decided not to tape the meetings, especially after pledging they would keep the public informed about the work of the council,' said Casey.

'Troy residents have a basic right to be kept informed about the decisions made at council meetings. Council meetings were always taped when Republicans held the majority and it is stunning council Democrats have failed in this seemingly simple task,' added Casey.

The failure to videotape the meetings is just the latest campaign promise broken by council Democrats. Casey said he believes Democrats have decided not to tape meetings in an attempt to hide their numerous failings since taking the council majority in 2008.

'I believe Democrats are deliberately not taping the meetings so they can keep Troy residents in the dark about the constant chaos and controversy that has marked the Democrat's time in the council majority. The Democrats clearly do not want residents to see what really goes on at the meetings,' added Casey."

--

The meeting itself was quite eventful, as well as long, but near the end of it Councilman Mark McGrath, R-District 2, caught some of the council Democrats by surprise when he said that he planned to ask Mayor Harry Tutunjian to "admonish" Department of Public Works Commission Bob Mirch.

McGrath wanted action taken against Mirch for his continued actions in situations such as the 2007 Jack Cox indcident where Mirch baracaded Cox's property with roadblocks and a mount of dirt to prevent him from moving unlicensed vehicles in or out.
McGrath's comment came as the council was preparing to vote on a $20,000 settlement of a lawsuit Cox brought against the city in response to Mirch's actions.

Councilman Ken Zalewski noted that he was honestly shocked to hear McGrath's comment but agreed that Mirch should not continue to do business in such a manner, especially with similar incidents like the closing of the Sanctuary For Independent Media last year for code violations the day a controversial exhibit was set to open to the public.

We've not recieved direct confirmation yet that the mayor intends to follow through on any kind of "admonishment" but knowing Mirch, we're sure he'll be voicing his opinion on the matter soon.

In a statement released Friday, Councilman Mark Wojcik, R-District 1, accused the City Council's Democratic majority of deliberately trying to avoid broadcasting the council's decisions to the public because they have not videotaped meetings for at least two months.

According to Wojcik, the Democrats' failure to tape the meetings for broadcast on cable TV means that many city residents are being denied the opportunity to watch the council's actions and decisions.

Wojcik also believed that the Democrats were deliberately not taping the meetings to hide what he referred to as "a series of missteps and errors by council Democrats."

"It is disgraceful council Democrats are failing to keep the public informed about the actions of the council," said Wojcik. "I am calling for the taping and broadcast of meetings to be started immediately."

Wojcik had made a point to address the issue to Council President Clement Campana, D-At Large, during Thursday night's meeting.

Campana responded by saying that the council's video camera had been broken and that they needed to purchase a new, digital model which he estimated would cost around $1,000. Given the tight economic times, Campana said the council would purchase the camera when they could find the funds to do so.

Campana had also alluded to having addressed the issue with Wojcik and other council members at committee meetings beforehand - a statement that Councilman Mark McGrath, R-District 2, said was not true.

"Democrats ran on a pledge of openness, but council Democrats have pulled the plug on keeping the residents of Troy informed," said Wojcik. "Council Democrats have no problems spending over $400 to replace a lock on a building we will be vacating in just a matter of months, but cannot allocate the resources necessary to keep the public informed."

According to Wojcik and McGrath, the camera that was used to tape council meetings had been provided by Time Warner Cable, but Campana said that was not the case.

"We would never intentionally try to prevent any arena for Mr. Wojcik and Mr. McGrath to make their stand publicly," said Campana.