Slate Of Transparency Reforms Heads To Framingham Council

FRAMINGHAM, MA — The Framingham City Council on Tuesday will take a first crack at several open government reforms that were recently introduced in a Council subcommittee.

On Wednesday, the Council Ordinance and Rules Subcommittee discussed and approved the reforms, which would change access to some public records, require government bodies to release more information about meetings and possibly create a new committee to review how the city responds to public records requests.

The reforms dovetail with the City Council's recent discussions about access to public records. Mayor Yvonne Spicer went before the Council last week to answer questions about her administration's responses to requests from the public and local media outlets. District 8 Councilor John Stefanini, who chairs the Ordinance and Rules Subcommittee, wrote the reforms.

Among the changes: the possible creation of a new committee to review how the city releases documents under the state open records law; requiring materials for boards and commissions be posted before meetings; and making the City Clerk the records access officer for the City Council — individual Councilors have been responding to public records requests, which some say takes up too much time.

Here's a glance at what each proposal would do: