The Bay Area Rapid Transit District, in response to charges of “secrecy and bureaucracy run amok,” has promised to reverse a years-long practice of holding closed meetings about the public’s business.
After a blistering editorial by the Contra Costa Times, the district’s board of directors acknowledged that as many as 20 committees have met privately about issues directly affecting riders and taxpayers.
In one case, the Times reported, a committee met in secret to discuss a $1 billion parcel tax for new transit cars. Another committee had held closed meetings about the budget for two decades, the Times said.
Read the full story here and an editorial here calling on BART to conduct its business according to the Brown open meetings act and to eliminate unnecessary committees.