City Council open records suit continues

At Monday’s Council meeting, a battle over government transparency continued.

An open records request by a local attorney still tied up in the courts came up for discussion.

Attorney Stephanie Townsend Allala requested emails between Council members, the city manager and ballpark owners back in September 2012.
Townsend Allala wants to see if anyone made deals away from the public.

Some of those emails were sent from personal accounts.

“Do not think that all the emails are in. Until each of you sign a sworn statement under penalty of law, how you can stand in front of this Council and make these statements and yet refuse to sign a sworn statement? It’s beyond rational, it’s beyond reason,” said Allala.

“We have no authority to go into your personal devices or inspect your personal computers or your personal emails. We have to rely on the integrity of individuals,” said Assistant City Attorney Laura Gordon.

The city said it has no power to go after personal emails, even if they deal with public business.

Allala said the city can get someone to do it, like the District Attorney or a judge.

Last year, the city required all city reps and employees to forward any email or text message about public business to their city email accounts so they can be made public if needed.

Now it’s up to a panel of judges in Austin to decide how far the Open Records Act goes and whether the city has a responsibility to go after those records .
The case will go before a court of appeals this Thursday.