Fort Bend County Attorney Roy Cordes Jr. said Friday his office will create a policy document to “formalize what the real purpose” is behind Thursday meetings among high-level county staff.
Cordes’ office will present the document to Commissioners Court members, as the result of concerns Precinct 1 Commissioner Richard Morrison expressed about the meetings earlier Friday.
“I have questions from my constituents whether it violates the Open Meetings Act,” Morrison said. He said he’s ordered his staff not to attend, “to avoid any appearance of impropriety” until he can provide staffers with written instructions to help them avoid violating the act.
Cordes and members of his staff met with Morrison and adressed his concerns, the county attorney said. And, his office is putting together a policy-type document for Commissioners Court members to view, that presumably could serve as a guide during further Thursday meetings.
Cordes said the meetings are convened in part to give staff members for the heads of various departments and commissioners an opportunity to present back-up documents required when submitting an item for a Commissioners Court session.
“The real purpose of the meeting is to go over the agenda as presented,” he said. Administrative questions are answered such as “is the agenda correctly stated?” and is money for an item being shown to come from the correct fund? or, when a job classification change is contemplated, has the Human Resources Department been contacted to assure the new classification is stated correctly?
During the Thursday agenda briefings there is at least one lawyer from his office attending, and sometimes two or three, Cordes said. Part of their purpose in attending is to assure open-meeting laws are followed.
But the Thursday sessions – dubbed Junior Commissioners Court by some – have drawn criticism over the years, and Morrison cited that as one of the reasons he chose to order his staff not to attend.
Cordes said he isn’t sure whether any other Texas counties have procedures like Fort Bend’s agenda briefings. He also said that while the Texas Attorney General’s Office has addressed some related issues, they haven’t specifically addressed the legality of such sessions.
The county attorney couldn’t say whether members of the media would be welcome at the weekly meetings. “That would be up to the judge’s office,” he added.
County Judge Bob Hebert was out of the office attending a meeting Friday afternoon and unavailable for comment.
how does MNR feel?
Exactly John.
Just one major point worthy of “allaying”? In the spirit of standing-up to spill all the truths — let’s indeed have a show of hands. Who here has performed with validity to speak for 3 minutes or less, as has been honorably respected by law in, one said County Commissioner Court? Exactly.
“Why should the county judge be the sole decider on what is and isn’t open governance involving our public monies?”
minor point….doncha ‘spose he’s the one because he was “elected” Cty Judge……