Memphis

5 May, 2015

Memphis report charts new approach to handling public records requests

By |2015-06-19T16:53:45-05:00May 5, 2015|Categories: Public Records, requests|Tags: , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

A top-to-bottom review presented to the mayor of Memphis last week charts a new approach to handling public records requests in Tennessee and takes direct aim at improving the underlying culture of openness. Among the 23 recommendations, it suggests a “fresh start” by re-assigning current public records custodians “to prevent adoption of incorrect methods or bad habits that have formed as part of the culture of the division or the department in which they work.” It talks about a “customer-friendly attitude,” suggests appointing a public records ombudsman to resolve disputes, and recommends a training program that would include a mix of city officials, media representatives and citizens “so each can gain [...]

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4 May, 2015

Memphis public records report lists deficiencies, recommends 23 changes

By |2015-05-04T15:18:45-05:00May 4, 2015|Categories: Public Records|Tags: , , |0 Comments

In late March, Memphis Mayor A C Wharton, Jr. requested Mike Carpenter, a former county commissioner and now executive director of the Plough Foundation, to conduct of review of how the city responds to public records requests and make recommendations on improvements. The report, Review of Public Records and Transparency in City Government, was delivered to the mayor late last week. Carpenter interviewed numerous sources to understand the processes and the tensions, including city and county employees, local reporters and editors, and experts on open government, including TCOG and the national group, The Sunlight Foundation. Wharton asked for a "comprehensive review" to see if the city was "not just meeting the letter [...]

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15 Dec, 2014

Commercial Appeal: Memphis officials censor city credit card records

By |2021-02-02T12:29:51-06:00December 15, 2014|Categories: Public Records|Tags: , , , |0 Comments

The Commercial Appeal reported today that the city of Memphis denied full access to statements from government-issued credit cards, saying the personal purchases made by government officials on the cards are not disclosable under the Tennessee Public Records Act. Under the credit card program, now discontinued, each government official was responsible for paying his own card, and had to submit separately for reimbursement when the purchases were for government. While the city says the employees paid the bill for their personal purchases, the Commercial Appeal so far has been unable to determine just how much in personal purchasing went on. TCOG is quoted in the story, and the Commercial Appeal gave [...]

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9 Apr, 2014

Commercial Appeal reports possible open meetings violations by a charter school

By |2019-09-11T16:17:10-05:00April 9, 2014|Categories: adequate public notice, school boards|Tags: , , , , |1 Comment

The Commercial Appeal reports today on possible open meetings violations by a charter school, the Memphis Academy of Health Sciences. The potential violations came during two meetings, one in which the charter school board voted to make board chairman Derrick Joyce the interim executive director. Board member Dionysia Smith-Richardson told The Commercial Appeal that there was not public notice of the two board meetings in January, including one called as a special emergency board meeting, and they were not held in compliance with the Tennessee Open Meetings Act. Public charter schools by law are subject to the Tennessee Open Meetings Act, which requires adequate public notice of meetings. Smith-Richardson also [...]

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