From the Reporter-Herald (Loveland):  In an ironic discussion about Loveland city councilors holding a special, closed-door meeting Thursday to consider a Reporter-Herald Open Records Act request, councilors admitted Tuesday night to having communicated with each other earlier this week via emails marked “private.”

Discussing process and conducting meetings via emails that aren’t posted would be in violation of Colorado law — as would be concealing emails that don’t fit in a narrow range of topics.

Councilors also discussed at their study session Tuesday the process of hiring an interim city manager to fill the position fired City Manager Bill Cahill will be leaving vacant. They also started that discussion late last week in a string of emails that was marked private and therefore not open for public review.

The Reporter-Herald submitted an Open Records Act request to the city of Loveland June 7 for all evaluation survey results submitted by 50 individuals assessing City Manager Bill Cahill’s performance as well as the results of an external survey Cahill sent to community members.

Another request was submitted Tuesday for the emails related to the hiring of an interim city manager.

Experts on the open records law say documents related to the performance of a public employee are open to the public and not exempt from release under Colorado law under a personnel provision as the city of Loveland has argued on numerous occasions.

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