Columbus Council may be in violation of Georgia’s open meetings law if more than six members meet in a locked room prior to their meetings.
For a month, councilors and city staffers have gathered in the locked lounge and conference room between the Government Center plaza and the main council chambers. The public and journalists had sought out officials in the room to answer questions when it was open, but now it requires a key card to enter.
Locking the door forces the public and journalists to wait until the session is over to talk to councilors and city staffers. But because of work and other meetings, councilors and staffers sometimes leave early before the session ends.
Columbus Mayor Jim Wetherington, who has pushed for an open government since he took office, said the change was needed.
“It’s not that we are trying to keep anybody out,” Wetherington said Thursday. “There is interaction between councilors and some of the councilors felt it would be better if we restricted that just to government personnel.”
When asked if the locked room violated Georgia’s open meetings law, City Attorney Clifton Fay said it is the council’s call on access to the room.
“They can control it if they want,” said Fay who didn’t have access to the room himself until Thursday. “It’s their call.”
To have an open meeting, Fay said the group would need an agenda and discuss official business.
“They can meet with staff like in Congress or the General Assembly,” he said.
David Hudson, an attorney for the Georgia Press Association, disagreed.
“If a quorum is present and they discuss public matters, it must be open,” he said.
When asked about the six councilors, Wetherington said the city didn’t operate that way.
“I don’t let them gather in the hallway,” the mayor said.
There was no incident that spurred officials to lock the door, Wetherington said.
City Manager Isaiah Hugley said the lounge and conference room is similar to the ante room at the General Assembly or a room in Congress for staffers.
“Council cannot have discussions with each other with all the public and media sitting there,” Hugley said. “Because everyone is sitting in there, I have to walk out on the plaza level. We need a place for staff to prepare for what’s going on.”
None of the councilors contacted said they were made aware of a lock going on the door.
Councilor C.E. “Red” McDaniel noticed the locked door but said he didn’t know why it was there.
“I imagined it’s just safety reasons,” he said.
If anyone want to contact Councilor Wayne Anthony, he advises them to just knock.
“I don’t think there is any attempt to not have total access even in that room,” Anthony said. “I advise them to knock on the door.”
Councilor Julius Hunter said he didn’t realize the room was locked until he recently tried to enter and had to knock on the door.
He doesn’t spend any time in the room other than getting something to drink.
“Basically I just go back to get coffee or water,” he said.
Hugley said the change appears to be working. “It turns out it’s a good environment to go for dialogue.”
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