Council gets loud over recordings

On a night when Concord Township Council began live-streaming its meetings, the longest and loudest part of the meeting dealt with whether attendees should divulge whether they are recording the meetings. One councilman went so far as to question the value of the township solicitor’s legal opinion.

Council for years has been asking people to let them know if they were recording meetings but that became a point of contention recently for Council Member Joshua Twersky. The first-term councilman has been questioning the need for having people announce that they’re recording because there’s no assumption of privacy in a public meeting.

Conversation over the subject became heated — not when Council President Dominic Pileggi told people they had to use microphones so comments could be picked up on the live stream — but when a proposed resolution formalizing the requirement was read during the April 2 meeting.

Twersky again challenged the need to have people announce the intent to record a meeting, saying people have a right to record and repeated there’s no assumption of privacy in public meetings. He added that forcing people to make such an announcement “is intimidating.”

Pileggi acknowledged that people have the right to record but said having people divulge recording makes things more civil, that those with cameras and tripods could be directed to the side of the room and, he stressed, “People have the right to know they’re being recorded.”

Councilman John Crossan then suggested two additional clauses to be read into the resolution that, he said, might address Twersky’s concerns. Twersky, however, objected, questioning the legality of amending the resolution right before a vote was legal.

When township solicitor Hugh Donaghue said it was legal, Twersky then challenged Donaghue saying, “I have little faith in your legal opinion.”

He, Twersky, then said Donoghue interceded improperly in a challenge brought against the financial disclosures of Michael Harding, a Republican Party-endorsed candidate for Concord’s Council. As previously reported, Twersky had been an endorsed candidate but the township GOP rescinded its endorsement of him

At no time during the round-a-bout conversation did any member of Council note that the members were arguing about procedures for the public to record meetings during a meeting that was being live-streamed.

The resolution requiring notice passed 5-1.

Other business

Donaghue announced that a company, GTI, has made a formal application to open a medical marijuana dispensary in the township at 68 Watkin Avenue. A hearing is tentatively scheduled for May 15. Pennsylvania announced its authorization for the facility by GTI in December.

About Rich Schwartzman

Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.

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