EASTHAMPTON — Following through on her stated intention, Mayor Nicole LaChapelle filed two Open Meeting Law complaints Wednesday against the School Committee with the attorney general’s Division of Open Government.
Discussion surrounding a nonbinding “good faith” agreement between LaChapelle and the committee was halted Tuesday night after the mayor stated that she intended to register two complaints under the state’s Open Meeting Law.
“I would just like to say as a member of this body, I abstain and strongly object to the conversation on this and will follow up with the state,” said LaChapelle. “And I want that on record. And now it is.”
In one complaint, LaChapelle alleges that the School Committee violated the law through an email chain when a quorum of the School Finance Committee discussed and edited “an informal agreement to promote good faith and trust between the School Committee and the city.”
In the other complaint, LaChapelle described how on Tuesday School Committee Chairperson Cynthia Kwiecinski and Superintendent Allison LeClair looked to discuss ongoing conversations related to a “good faith” agreement among the City Council, LaChapelle, LeClair and the School Committee pertaining to the FY23 school budget. LaChapelle said she did not feel “FY23 Budget” adequately described the topic.
“The chair did not share the draft agreement with the public before or at the meeting. The letter in question is unrelated to the complete school budget process for FY23,” LaChapelle wrote in the second complaint. “A member of the public looking at the agenda had little indication of what would be discussed under ‘FY23 Budget.’”
The impetus for the agreement came about as a result of two School Committee members and one City Council member initially reaching out to discuss the $560,000 shortfall between LaChapelle’s proposed $17.89 million school budget and the school department’s requested $18.45 million.
A back and forth ensued at Tuesday’s meeting as Kwiecinski disagreed with LaChapelle’s assertions and sought further clarification as she felt that the agreement was in fact part of the budget discussion.
“Where are you seeing a violation with us talking about — clearly, we’re talking about the budget in this agreement and all of our meetings with you, we were talking about the FY2023 budget and it’s in that particular document that we’re talking about the budget. So to discuss it openly, I’m not seeing where you see an Open Meeting Law violation,” Kwiecinski said.
School Committee member Megan Harvey also stated that she was confused by LaChapelle’s complaint.
“We can’t post a letter before we’ve agreed on the terms and voted that our chair should sign it, but we can’t talk about it until we post the letter. Please help me clarify and understand,” she said.
LaChapelle reiterated that the agenda needed to include a description of a good faith letter.
“I’m just flabbergasted. I really am,” said Kwiecinski. “I thought this would be a very positive meeting where we would be talking about how much communication and collaboration we are creating within the city. I don’t understand why it does not fit into this conversation. … I’m at a standstill.”
Following another tense back and forth, School Committee members moved to hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday, which does not require 48 hours’ worth of posting notice before a meeting.
LaChapelle has requested the attorney general provide an opinion on both of her complaints to determine if the School Committee has violated the state’s Open Meeting Law.
Emily Thurlow can be reached at ethurlow@gazettenet.com.
