By JIMMY LAWTON

OGDENSBURG – Three city councilors say they want to revisit a recent consensus decision limiting the release of information to the public prior to board meetings.

Ogdensburg City Councilors receive updates from the city manager prior to council meetings that include information on spending, problems with equipment, potential purchases and information relating to resolutions and presentations that will be discussed at public meetings.

The updates can also contain information that is protected from the public view.

After a Freedom of Information Request for the update made by the Ogdensburg Journal was denied, some city councilors pushed for sharing the non-confidential information to the public to assist in the understanding of city business.

However, at the Jan. 25 City Council meeting, four councilors shot down a proposal by City Manager Sarah Purdy to release non-confidential portions of the council updates to the public.

Instead councilors Daniel Skamperle, Jennifer Stevenson, David Price and Timothy Davis agreed the city manager should issue press releases only on information she deemed important to the public.

Despite that policy change, the press was once again left in the dark prior to Thursday’s meeting.

City Manager Sarah Purdy said no press release was necessary because everything in the Ogdensburg City Council’s update was deemed routine and not of the public interest.

In interviews Friday, councilors Timothy Davis, Brian Mitchell and Deputy Mayor Morley said they intend to raise the issue at the next council meeting.

Davis, who originally opposed the plan to release non-confidential portions of the update, said that he is willing to reconsider the issue, because he does see value in releasing more information to the public prior to meetings.

“I still don’t think we need to release (the full update) especially when it comes to internal operations, litigation and personnel,” he said. “Some things need to stay internal, but I am willing to reconsider getting more information out there.”

Davis says he does believe there are certain things that can be removed and he believes Sarah Purdy is capable of making that distinction, but says he does see a benefit in informing the public better.

Deputy Mayor Morley said he intends to raise the issue at the next meeting, because he is concerned the city is moving away from transparency when it should be doing the opposite.

“I am still concerned about why they don’t want to share updates,” he said. “If I want to share something in my update that’s public information, I am going to share it. I really wonder what they are so afraid of the public seeing.”

Morley said that anything concerning the taxpayer and anything that concerns the budget that is not a lawsuit, business interest or a personnel issue needs to be released.

Mitchell said he also intends to bring it up at the next council meeting. He said he believes the issue warrants further discussion. He said the public has an interest in knowing how its money is being spent and they should not have to submit freedom of information requests to get it.

“I am for open government. I think we should release information in the updates as long as it isn’t confidential,” he said.

Mitchell said be believes all taxpayers should have the right to know how their money is being spent, because it’s their money.

“I think it does need be discussed further and I will be bringing it up at the next meeting,” he said.