The state Freedom of Information Commission will host a training seminar for the Seymour Board of Police Commissioners on Jan. 19.
The training session was scheduled as part of a settlement with the Valley Independent Sentinel after it filed an FOI complaint against the board in September.
The Valley Indy complained that the Board of Police Commissioners held an illegal executive session on Aug. 19, when it discussed general policy issues in private.
Executive sessions are allowed in some cases — such as discussion of personnel issues — but not when discussing legislation and routine policies.
Click here to read a past article on the incident.
The Valley Indy offered to drop the complaint if the Board of Police Commissioners scheduled a training session with the FOI commission.
The training — which is open to the public — will be held at 7 p.m. at the Seymour Police Department. Thomas Hennick, public education officer for the commission, will host the training, which he calls “FOI 101.”
“The idea is to make folks aware of not only their obligations, but their rights under FOI,” Hennick said Tuesday. “The law can be tricky. There are some gray areas.”
Hennick said the FOI training is open to other public officials and volunteers who want to learn more about the FOI Act and how it applies to them.
The commission hosted about 85 training sessions for public agencies last year. Most of those are requested by public officials, Hennick said.
Some were scheduled as the result of a complaint settlement, Hennick said. And in rare cases, the commission will order a public agency to undergo training if there is an egregious disregard for the FOI Act.
The Freedom of Information Act outlines the public’s right to public information, including public documents and access to public meetings. Click here to view the full FOI act.
Seymour Town Counsel Colleen Fries, who handled the complaint for the town, declined to comment on the settlement. A letter from Fries to the FOI Commission is posted below.
The Valley Independent Sentinel intends to drop its complaint prior to the meeting.
Seymour FOI Letter
