I ended the last Out Loud letting the taxpayers know that the Town Crier had requested all email communications between the Idyllwild Fire Protection District (IFPD) commissioners regarding the separation of former IFPD Chief Patrick Reitz from the district.
Chief Mark LaMont initially came back with the response that the communications were attorney-client privilege. When the newspaper pushed back stating that attorney-client privilege did not apply in this situation because the newspaper is not asking for communications between commission members and its legal counsel, LaMont sent a response several days later stating something different.
That second response stated that there are “no disclosable records responsive to my request.” Interesting response given that I published communications in my last Out Loud between commission members obtained through a previous public records request by the newspaper.
The communications previously printed show clear violations of the Brown Act. The majority of commission members engaged in a conversation regarding district business that did not occur during a commission meeting with proper agenda release and public notification. It is a good call that the district, in its Sept. 24 commission meeting agenda, listed a webinar for commission members to “review/discuss/approve” on the “Brown Act principles, traps and avoiding violations” as an upcoming educational event.
