New Ideas In Open Government.

Often the items I post are about when a Massachusetts governing body or public official fails to comply with the Open Meeting Law or the Public Records Law. I thought I would try something new; a post about a community that exceeds what is minimally required. The town of Barnstable is one such community. It makes available on its website videos of past meetings of a number of town boards and committees, including the Barnstable Town Council. So anyone who could not attend a meeting in person or watch the local cable broadcast of a meeting on television can now view it online at their convenience. The town also puts out a monthly newsletter from town officials, The Barnstable Bulletin, which can be downloaded from the website or emailed to anyone who signs up to received it via email. In addition, detailed budget information is also posted on the website, as is a weekly newsletter from the town manager. These are just some examples of what a community can do to provide its citizens with greater access to information about what their public officials do.