MILTON, Ga. — After residents took issue with an unadvertised Sept. 18 meeting that featured a quorum of Milton City Council members discussing the municipal election, Mayor Peyton Jamison issued a statement to clear the record.
Former Councilwoman Laura Bentley said the council broke off into a separate gathering immediately after an advertised meeting held at 11 a.m. at the North Fulton CID office in Avalon. The 11 a.m. public meeting was to discuss the Windward Parkway/Ga. 9 master plan.
Bentley said she found out about the second meeting because she had spoken with councilmembers.
“Based on people’s account of what took place, I would have been there. You would have been there. I’m sure 100 people would have been there,” Bentley said.
Milton resident Mary Cronk joined Bentley in asking for details about the unadvertised gathering at the Oct. 16 City Council meeting. Both referenced the city charter and the Georgia Open Meetings Act, which states that oral or written notice of such a meeting must be given to the public 24 hours in advance.
“The Open Meetings Law is the foundation of government transparency,” Bentley said at the podium. “You are our representatives.”
Cronk quoted a section that describes “special circumstances,” in which a notice may be given in less than 24 hours so long as it’s given to the city’s legal organ. The Milton Herald was not notified about the Sept. 18 meeting.
In a prepared statement, Jamison said the meeting involved an election update from the city manager which included an “admonishment that repeated calls for investigations by councilmembers may work an overall negative in the public’s eye and may result in inquiries by other agencies.”
Contacted by phone, Jamison elaborated to say City Manager Steve Krokoff was worried any noise about investigations could distract the…
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