I'm sure it's all a coincidence. After Longmont City Councilmember Karen Benker get's fellow travelers to join her and form a new majority (bloc) on council, we have record numbers of secret Executive Session meetings (incorrect statements to the contrary from stumbling councilmembers and his dad not withstanding). Oddly enough, Ms. Benker has a history of this sort of problem. Again, something many of you probably had no idea about.

Back in 1996 when Ms. Benker was on the RTD Board, the Rocky Mountain News did a series of stories about some problems that board had with secret meetings. Guess who was in the middle of it? That's right, Karen Benker.

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RTD BOARD MEMBERS SEEK INVESTIGATION INTO 1996 'CLOSED DOOR' LUNCHEONS

Source: Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO)

Date: 5/2/1996

Seven members of the RTD board called Wednesday for an investigation into alleged secret meetings by the other eight members. ``How can we represent our constituents if meetings are being conducted behind closed doors?'' asked Ron Nichol at a press conference Wednesday.

He said the group, which also includes board members Jon Caldara, David Bishop, Daniel Gallegos, Terri Binder, Richard Rudden, and Bill Womack, has not been told about at least three lunch meetings since December - the most recent being Monday at the Daily Planet Cafe, 1560 Broadway. ``We don't know who was there, what was discussed and who paid the bill,'' said Caldara. ``This was a violation of RTD bylaws,'' which specify how and when board members are to be notified of meetings.

Several members of the excluded group have contacted the Attorney General's office to see if anything can be done. Patricia Bangert, senior deputy solicitor general, said she wasn't sure yet what the answer was. ``We're going to call for an investigation into how the meetings were called and where the records are - we don't even know who said what,'' Caldara said.

``When a government starts meeting in secret like this, we're in trouble,'' said Caldara. ( doesn't that sound familiar?) Board member Karen Benker, who was at Monday's lunch, said there was nothing sinister or illegal about the gathering.

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RTD'S BOARD OF INSIDERS

THE ISSUE: RTD BOARD MAJORITY HOLDS PRIVATE MEETINGS OUR VIEW: HALF THE DISTRICT HAS BEEN CUT OUT OF INPUT.(Editorial)

Source: Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO)

Date: 5/5/1996

The Denver metro area has two RTD boards. The first is the one you knew about, which holds regular meetings at which the public and all 15 district representatives are invited to attend. The other board is a more exclusive panel. Its eight members belong to the regular board, but also meet on their own beyond public gaze and without the knowledge of seven elected colleagues.

Not to worry, though. One of the eight, Karen Benker, assures one and all that RTD lawyers have given their blessing to this highly irregular arrangement. ``There is no violation of anything,'' she told reporters. ``We formulated no policy. This was not a secret meeting. It was posted. There was no action taken. It was not a formal meeting.''

Perhaps we should defer to those highly competent RTD lawyers. On the other hand, the state Open Meetings Law clearly states the following: ``All meetings of two or more members of any state public body at which any public business is discussed or at which any formal action may be taken are declared to be public meetings open to the public at all times.'' At those meetings, moreover, minutes ``shall be taken and promptly recorded, and such records shall be open to public inspection.''

Yet what do you know? Benker says there are no minutes of the separate meetings at which up to eight RTD board members attended. There is more. RTD has its own set of bylaws that board members are obligated to follow. The bylaws stipulate that ``notice of special board meetings shall be given to each director at least 24 hours before the meeting. Notice shall be either oral or written.''

None of the seven excluded board members was notified by phone or fax of the meetings, the most recent of which occurred last Monday. In short, board members who collectively represent nearly half of all metropolitan residents have been excluded from deliberations affecting the future of public transit in their districts.

Does this matter? Certainly, although its implications haven't dawned on board chairman Ben Klein. Not only does he insist that the excluded minority has no right to be upset that their colleagues attempted to cut them out of their official duties, he even goes so far as to describe the minority's resentment as ``childish.''

Klein clearly missed his calling. There must be a theater company somewhere that could use a fellow so obviously tailor-made to play the lead role in a production depicting the life of George III.

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RTD BOARD MEMBERS AGAIN ACCUSED OF MEETING ILLEGALLY

Source: Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO)

Date: 8/10/1996

Infighting on RTD's board erupted again this week when five members running for re-election met to discuss campaign strategy. Some Regional Transportation District board members who were unaware of Thursday's session accused the five of violating state laws regarding public meetings.

`` This group is the most dysfunctional, corrupt, vote-trading board that RTD has ever seen,'' said Director Jon Caldara of Boulder, whose seat isn't up for re-election. Director Karen Benker of Lakewood, who posted the notice about the luncheon, said no laws were broken.

Benker and directors Bob Tsoning, Edie Bryan, Loren Sloane and Russ Tarver, all light-rail proponents, attended the luncheon at the Denver Press Club. The notice, which was posted that morning, was not on official RTD stationery, but it said ``public meeting notice,'' and gave the time and place. Under ``agenda,'' it said, ``RTD campaign coordination for November 96.''

Bishop and Caldara said they were upset to learn that Benker had ordered board secretary Sharon Powers not to fax the notice to all directors. Benker said that her request was misunderstood and that she wasn't trying to keep the meeting secret. She said she told Powers not to fax the notice because ``this was a campaign issue and did not affect the entire board.'' Benker said RTD's attorney advised her that the meeting did not have to be posted because it did not involve district business. ``But we wanted to be upfront,'' she said, referring to recent criticism over questionable meetings.

In May, seven RTD directors called for an investigation of what they called secret meetings. The eight RTD members who met maintained they did not break any laws because no policy was formulated. State law requires that any meeting of three or more of the 15 members be public.

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Again, our record number of secret meetings must be a complete coincidence.

Benker was bad for RTD and is bad for Longmont.