CFOIC looks back: Transparency highlights and lowlights in 2015
The private emails flap was one of many transparency-related stories we highlighted in 2015 or broke ourselves.
Open Meetings Laws
Arvada and Weisfield settle secret-ballots lawsuit
Russell Weisfield and the city of Arvada have settled a lawsuit over Arvada’s use of secret ballots to eliminate candidates for a vacant city council seat.
Colorado Supreme Court won’t hear Arvada’s appeal of secret ballots ruling
The Colorado Supreme Court let stand an appellate court ruling that reinstated a citizen’s lawsuit against Arvada for violating the Colorado Sunshine Law.
Lawsuit: Elbert County commissioners violated Colorado’s Open Meetings Law
A Kiowa resident alleges in a lawsuit that the Elbert County Commission violated Colorado’s Open Meetings Law last spring when it considered resolutions to indemnify commissioners in legal cases involving two of them and a former commissioner.
Proposed 2016 legislation would ease access to the judicial branch’s administrative records
A bipartisan trio of state lawmakers announced plans for a bill that would require the Colorado Judicial Branch to ease access to its administrative records by using rules similar to those in the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA).
State advisory panel on local gaming ignored the Sunshine Law, audit finds
A state advisory committee that helps award grants for addressing the impact of local gaming in Colorado has disregarded the Sunshine Law by failing to document its meetings and activities, a new state audit says.
DIY FOI: Lessons learned from challenging a denial of access without a lawyer
Can I do it myself? The CFOIC is sometimes asked this question by folks who want to challenge a denial of public records or a closed-door meeting they believe was held improperly. The CFOIC is building an online repository of pleadings that have been filed in previous lawsuits under CORA and the Sunshine Law. And we have some tips on filing pro se from reporter Todd Shepherd.
Arvada asks Colorado Supreme Court to review reinstatement of secret ballots lawsuit
The Colorado Supreme Court has been asked to review a state Court of Appeals decision that reinstated an Arvada resident’s lawsuit against his city for using secret ballots to fill a city council vacancy.
Download 2015 guide to Colorado sunshine laws
A new edition of the “Sunshine Laws” guide, revised for 2015, is now available for download as a pdf. Produced by the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition and the Colorado Press Association, this 18-page reference booklet is an essential overview of Colorado’s open meetings and open records laws.
Some cities continue to use secret ballots to fill council vacancies despite 2012 state statute
Despite a 2012 Sunshine Law amendment that bans the use of secret ballots to make most decisions, some municipal governments in Colorado have continued to fill city council vacancies by voting anonymously.