Connecticut Council on Freedom of Information
Minutes, May 16, 2018
The meeting was at Wood-n-Tap, 99 Sisson Ave., Hartford.
Present: Zach Janowski, Mary Connolly, Tom Scheffey, Kaley Lentini, Jeff Daniels, Michele Jacklin, Colleen Murphy, Gary Gold, Mitch Pearlman, Chris Powell, Paula Pearlman, Paul Giguere, Mike Savino.
The minutes of the April 18, 2018 meeting were accepted.
Legislative report: There was discussion of the 2018 legislative session. Murphy said there was “no great damage.” Attached is the 2018 Legislative Activity Report from John Bailey, our lobbyist at TCORS Capitol Group.
There was discussion of our lobbying contract which will soon expire. A motion was made and unanimously approved to solicit bids. The legislative co-chairs will write a scope of services that will help focus the discussion with bidders.
Annual meeting: Our awards luncheon will be June 26, a Tuesday, at 11:30 a.m. at Pond House Café in Hartford’s Elizabeth Park. Tickets are $55 each and can be purchased at the door. Parking is free and accessible. The address is 1555 Asylum Ave., West Hartford.
Elections: Nominations were made for the elections that will take place at the annual meeting. Dan Klau is now a Superior Court judge and has stepped down as CCFOI president. Mike Savino was nominated for president. Vice President Zach Janowski, Treasurer George Lombardi and Secretary Mary Connolly were renominated for those positions.
Awards: Decisions were made on our annual awards. The Bice Clemow award honors a non-journalist. This year’s winner is Chase Rogers, who just retired as chief justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court. During her decade as chief justice, Rogers greatly expanded transparency in the court system. The Stephen A. Collins award goes to a journalist. This year’s winner is Matthew Kauffman, a reporter for the Hartford Courant.
The Champion of Open Government award goes to someone who contributed to the cause of open government. This year’s winner is Steve Armstrong of the Connecticut Department of Education. His specialty is social studies education and he has helped spread the word to schools about the new first amendment program put together by the Connecticut Foundation for Open Government. To thank Dan Klau for his long service to the cause, he was chosen for an Outstanding Service Award.
Looking ahead: The CCFOI annual meeting will be June 26 at 11:30 a.m. at Pond House Café, 1555 Asylum Ave., West Hartford. Tickets are $55 and can be purchased at the door.