Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
UNLV panel to discuss state of transparency
Public records, whistleblower protections and open meeting laws will be among the topics discussed at a panel on government transparency held at UNLV on Monday evening.
The discussion will kick off Sunshine Week, a national initiative to promote the importance of open government and freedom of information. The panel members will include Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Rachel Crosby, Nevada Press Association executive director Barry Smith, Nevada Policy Research Institute director of transparency research Robert Fellner and UNLV journalism instructor Charles Zobell.
“It’s important people understand they have the right to access records and meetings. Government works best when the public is watching,” Smith said.
ACLU of Nevada executive director Tod Story will moderate the discussion, which will include time for audience questions.
“As a reporter and editor, I grew tired of the attitude among some Nevada public officials that government records belonged to them and that allowing the public to attend and comment at government meetings interfered with their business,” Zobell said.
The panel begins at 6 p.m. and will be held at the Greenspun College of Urban Affairs, 4504 S. Maryland Parkway.
because of confidentiality concerns, legal requirements or out of respect for an individual’s privacy, so too are there times when it is proper for government and public officials to do the same. The goal should always be to find the proper balance when it comes to transparency.”
Review-Journal Managing Editor Glenn Cook said March’s reasoning is deeply flawed.
”Private entities do indeed enjoy some privacy protections,” he said. “Henderson, however, is a public entity, and every action it takes, every program it runs, every pen and piece of paper it buys is paid for by Henderson
residents. Henderson‘s idea of ‘balance’ when it comes to transparency mirrors anti-drug campaigns: They just say no.”
In November, Cherry prolonged a records request seeking proposals, contracts and other documents related to the sale of land that will be used for the headquarters of the NFL’s Oakland Raiders when they move to Southern Nevada.
Cherry’s reason for denial cited one portion of a law — that contracts and other documents can remain confidential at the request of a business that would spur economic development by locating in a Nevada jurisdiction. The rest of the law clearly states, however, that the information should be released once the business decides to locate in Nevada. That became very clear when the City Council unanimously voted to approve the sale in January.
A week after that vote, the city created a spectacle at March’s State of the City address, when March joked about changing the city’s logo to silver and black as pyrotechnics illuminated the Raiderettes cheerleaders onstage.
Cherry said the records should be made available by March 29 — roughly five months after March confirmed the city and team were in negotiations for the land sale.
In January, the Review-Journal reported that city employees are fearful of speaking about abuses and misconduct because they’ll face retaliation.
“We want to have an open and transparent government and have a good relationship with the media,” said interim City Manager Richard Derrick.