BERLIN– A January contract discussion among Town of Berlin officials regarding the Berlin Fire Company should have been open to the public, according to the Maryland Open Meetings Compliance Board.
The board on Friday issued an opinion advising that a Jan. 23 Berlin Town Council meeting about the Berlin Fire Company (BFC) contract should not have been held in closed session. The complaint was filed by resident Jason Walter when town officials failed to address his concerns prior to the meeting.
“Our representatives are obligated to understand and follow the open meetings act, there is no real excuse not to,” Walter said. “The state provides ample guidance and training material to assist with compliance.”
Last month, Walter filed a complaint with the Open Meetings Compliance Board (OMCB) about the Jan. 23 closed session meeting the town council held regarding the Berlin Fire Company. The meeting was closed in accordance with a section of Maryland Code that states a meeting can be closed “Before a contract is awarded or bids are opened, to discuss a matter directly related to a negotiating strategy or the contents of a bid or proposal, if public discussion or disclosure would adversely impact the ability of the public body to participate in the competitive bidding or proposal process.”
Walter said that didn’t apply in the town’s case.
Stop crying Berlin… wait till Wes Moore and Jake Day place
government housing all over Berlin on open land
sounds like Salisbury & Wicomico county !!!