The Fannin County commissioners office operates under the assumption that government business is not the publics’ business. At least that is the only obvious conclusion from the most recent effort of those under the direct supervision of the commission chairman.
As has been noted numerous times, The News Observer has made repeated efforts to dig out all the local information possible regarding the coronavirus and COVID-19. Because Georgia public health officials are much more closed mouthed regarding details than those in other states, information is almost impossible to collect and verify.
Several weeks ago, the newspaper learned of a conference call among Fannin County elected and appointed officials, health department officials and representatives of several local organizations. A newspaper representative was told that The News Observer really needed to hear what had been said.
Not long afterwards, there was information released that “community members have contracted COVID-19 from contact at area big box stores.”
The News Observer learned that information came directly from another conference call and the wording “big box stores” came from County Attorney Lynn Doss.
About this same time, The News Observer heard from a different person who had been on the recent call that we really needed to be in on the conversations and the calls were, in fact, weekly.
So the newspaper politely asked Fannin County Emergency Management Agency Director Robert Graham, who coordinates the calls, that a newspaper representative be included.
We received a response from Doss slamming the door in our face. We had no right to listen. Her contention was the conference call did not violate the Georgia Open Meetings / Open Records statutes, in part because no quorum of any group existed. A quorum would mean the call would be governed by the Open Meetings law and open to the public.
With so many people apparently involved in the calls, it was hard to believe a quorum of a local government body did not exist.
So The News Observer filed an open records request with Graham asking for the list of persons emailed to be on the call. That request, too, found its way to Doss, who responded with an additional direction that all open records requests for all divisions falling under the Board of Commissioners be directed to Sherri Walker, designated custodian of records.
Meanwhile, the email records show Graham sends the notice announcing the plans for the weekly call, “Community Leadership COVID-19 Huddle,” and other subject lines, to a quorum of the Fannin County Board of Health. In fact, a quorum of that board had been invited to every call. Considering who the health board member are, and their other positions in government, there is little doubt they took part. But they were likely not thinking of their health board positions when they did.
But under Georgia law, they were illegally meeting. By shutting the public out, the law is being broken.
Doss should be aware of these facts and so should the people she works for – the board of commissioners and specifically Chairman Stan Helton who directly supervises Doss and Graham in their county capacities. So it’s up to him to fix the problem.
Maybe the problem is an oversight, but likely it’s not. Either way, it must be fixed.Because if the problem is not fixed, the public will continue to be kept in the dark about information they have a right to know. Georgia law gives them that right.