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The footsteps must be getting louder. Today, the Stockton Record editorial page agreed with Thornton residents (see below). And Judge McNatt held an ex parte hearing where RD 348 was given more time -- through November 4, 2006 -- to produce all of the documents. The judge has allowed them to have another 20 days to appeal if they want, but the documents still have to be produced within the 1st 20 day period. In addition, the judge ordered the District to provide to the public, electronic evidence that is resident on RD 348 computers and in other electronic media storage devices owned or controlled by the District.
http://recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061024/OPED01/610240307
Exercising their right to know
Residents in one of San Joaquin County's tiniest communities used the
California Public Records Act to force officials of their local reclamation
district to make its procedures and records public.
It's a perfectly correct use of the power that's available to every state
resident.
Superior Court Judge Bob McNatt gave officials of Reclamation District 348
just 20 days to release their records to a group of Thornton residents. The
district is responsible for levee repair and maintenance in the Thornton
area.
"If an agency can't even supply for inspection a copy of its own internal
policies for such things as how meetings are to be held, something appears
wrong with the way records are kept," McNatt wrote in his Oct. 3 ruling.
It doesn't matter who's asking or for what purpose. Such documents should be
available to the public. Members of public agencies, even small reclamation
districts should conduct their business in the open.
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