Fayetteville Alderwoman Backs Off Anti-Filming Stance

City Nominating Process To Be Broadcast Going Forward

FAYETTEVILLE — Meetings of the City Council’s nominating committee likely will be broadcast online and on the city Government Channel.

Adella Gray, committee chairwoman, backed off a proposal to prevent interviews with volunteer applicants to city boards and commissions from being filmed.

Gray and several other council members said earlier this month they thought public broadcast of the meetings would discourage people from applying to nearly 30 boards and commissions.

Alderman Alan Long asked for the meetings to be filmed in accordance with Government Channel policies approved in 2010.

The issue came to a head and was discussed at length at the council’s Sept. 3 meeting. Aldermen tabled Gray’s proposal until Oct. 1.

Gray, in a Sept. 10 letter to council members, said she wanted to table the proposal indefinitely.

“It was never intended to be such a divisive issue as it has turned out to be,” Gray’s letter stated. “It is not about transparency, but rather about the citizens of Fayetteville who choose to voluntarily put themselves out there to serve on our boards and commissions. … (The nominating) process has never been filmed, and it never occurred to me that anyone would consider it appropriate to film these interviews and deliberations. However, the ordinance is in place, and the nominating committee shall follow it and do our best to choose the best applicants for the positions as we have always done.”

City Attorney Kit Williams said Thursday aldermen have to vote Oct. 1 to indefinitely table Gray’s proposal.

Gray said she could bring the issue back to the council if she notices a smaller applicant pool in the future.

Broadcasts of various public meetings are aired on channel 216 for Cox Communications customers and channel 99 for AT&T U-Verse subscribers. Archived footage is available online at accessfayetteville.org.

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