Metro board discussing PARP fees in secret

Today’s Metro Board executive session includes a discussion of the Public Access to Records Policy (PARP), their analogue to FOIA. According to sources, they’re discussing whether to raise fees for requests, including those from the press.

If Metro is having to cut budget everywhere, some fee change might be necessary. That’s a reasonable issue for the Board to discuss. But talking about it in secret is crazy.

It was already sadly ironic that there was going to be a secret discussion about changing the policy that gives the public access to information. Reporters from major press outlets complained to Metro about the existence of PARP on the executive session agenda. Charging the public more for access to information, most of all, is surely a decision that should happen publicly.

Update: The Metro Board also discussed SmarTrip in executive session, and then decided not to talk about it in the regular meeting. While there are some legal issues involved, the schedule delays and lack of communication aren’t proper executive session subjects.