Councilor Romano proposes increased notice for public meetings

Precinct 3 Councilor Joseph Romano proposed an ordinance change at last week’s Winthrop Town Council meeting that he said would increase transparency and provide more information to the public.

The ordinance change would “allow posting of every proposed ordinance, appropriation order or loan authorization, except emergency ordinances as provided in section 2-9(a), to be posted either once in full in a local newspaper or posted on the town’s website at least seven days before its final passage.”

The motion filed by Romano stated that posting in both the newspaper and on the town’s website is preferred but not mandatory.

During last week’s town council meeting, Romano clarified that the ordinance change is not meant to replace the newspaper postings with the online postings, but to give the town the option to post the relevant information in more locations.

“I just want another option for people to be able to find it,” said Romano. “I understand that people might be confused when I said post it both in the newspaper and on the town website is preferred but not mandatory. I would like that we did both, but you only need the newspaper, that is the only thing that state law requires.

“I’m just trying to prevent a situation where it doesn’t get on the website in time, we have the legal rights to vote.”

Romano said he does not want to make it more strict to vote on a notice, but that he also wants to make it easier for the public to have another place to easily go and read the notices.

The motion was sent to the council’s rules and ordinance subcommittee where Romano said the language could be amended slightly for clarity.

There will also be a public hearing scheduled for the ordinance change prior to a council vote.

“I just want to agree with Councilor Romano, I think it would be a great benefit to everybody to have those notices posted to the town website as timely as possible,” said Councilor-at-Large Max Tassinari.