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Address: Law Offices of Steven Ballard, 354 Washington Street, Suite 323
Email: sballard@stevenballard.com
Are you filing the complaint in your capacity as an individual, representative of an organization, or media?
(For statistical purposes only)
Name of Public Body (including city/ Acton Leadership Group, Acton, Massachusetts
town, county or region, if applicable):
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Description of alleged violation:
Describe the alleged violation that this complaint is about. If you believe the alleged violation was intentional, please say so and include
the reasons supporting your belief.
The Acton Leadership Group ("ALG") violated the Open Meeting Law ("OML") at its meeting on June 28, 2018 (Jun. 28 meeting) as evidenced
by the approved minutes (Jun. 28 minutes) which were approved at the ALG's September 27, 2018 meeting (Sep. 27 meeting) but which are
still not, as of today, posted on the Town of Acton's website with the other meeting minutes (including the Sep. 27 meeting minutes
themselves). [Further notes concerning date of reasonable discovery of the violations: The Jun. 28 minutes at this point appear only indirectly
available through the website of the Acton-Boxborough Regional School Committee ("School Committee") specifically as they appear in the
meeting packet for the Oct. 4, 2018 School Committee meeting. This Complainant was only able to discover the Jun. 28 minutes on or about
Oct. 7, 2018, by chance, when he saw the School Committee packet on that date. He could not possibly be expected to have discovered the
Jun. 28 minutes, and thus the violations evidenced by them, until around that time at the earliest, as they had only been posted a few days
prior to the Oct. 4 School Committee meeting.]
The ALG violated the OML at its Jun. 28 meeting, in at least the following ways, as evidenced by the ALG's approved minutes for that date.
First, in general, the ALG made several decisions (at least as follows in the first four known violations) at the meeting without any motions,
recorded votes whatsoever, or members' specific votes or views identified, including: 1) By agreeing to make several changes to the "ALG
Charter and Ground Rules" without any motion, vote, or recording of same (as the minutes reflect only "it was agreed" and "there was general
agreement with the changes," thus violating the requirement to record not only the discussions but all "the decisions made and the actions
taken at each meeting, including the record of all votes.” G.L. c. 30A, § 22(a). 2) By similarly failing to properly make or record its decision to
approve the minutes of its Feb. 28, 2018 meeting, as the Jun. 28 minutes merely state "Minutes from Feb. 28 were accepted." G.L. c. 30A, § 22
(a). 3) By similarly deciding, without properly making any motions, votes or recording of same, to have its next meeting Sep. 27, 2018; to
change the time from 7 AM to 7 PM; to have one of its members analyze the time change "as it impacts other regularly scheduled meetings
and to adopt a specifically described cancellation schedule, with all of these decisions reported simply with the language "it was agreed.”
G.L. c. 30A, § 22(a). 4) By adjourning at 8:52PM without any recorded vote. G.L. c. 30A, § 22(a).
(There are other Open Meeting Law Violations related to the Jun. 28, 2018 meeting, some of which are the subject of a separate complaint,
also filed on this day, as they relate to violations committed at the next meeting on Sep. 27, when the Jun. 28 minutes were approved; more
violations may be found after the response to document requests.
What action do you want the public body to take in response to your complaint?
Note: This text field has a maximum of 500 characters.
The ALG should disband. These violations highlight how the ALG itself operates contrary to the OML and
other laws of municipal governance, usurping municipal authorities of Acton, Boxborough (indirectly) &
their shared school district. As a de facto "super committee" (a few selectmen, finance committee, and
Acton-only school committee members & paid staff), it purports to reach "consensus" (vaguely reported)
on important issues to which members vow to commit their boards before Town Meetings.
Publication to Website. As part of the Open Data Initiative, the AGO will publish to its website certain information regarding your complaint,
including your name and the name of the public body. The AGO will not publish your contact information.
By signing below, I acknowledge that I have read and understood the provisions above and certify that the information I have provided is true
and correct to the best of my knowledge.
October 31, 2018
Signed: ___________________________________________ Date:____________________________
For Use By Public Body For Use By AGO
Date Received by Public Body: Date Received by AGO:
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