Opinion ID: 1059128
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The Charlotte Street Gathering

Text: In July 2002, citizens living near the intersection of Charlotte and Weedon Streets in the City of Fredericksburg were concerned about the lack of a stop sign at the intersection and other issues related to traffic safety. Two city employees and three members of City Council were separately invited by concerned citizens to attend a gathering at the intersection in the middle of the day on July 25, 2002. Approximately 20 people were in attendance. After hearing testimony and the arguments of counsel, the trial court found as a matter of fact that the gathering was scheduled as a consequence of citizen inquiry; that the meeting's purpose, in essence, was an informational forum in reference to traffic issues in a given neighborhood or on a specific street; that the three members of Council who appeared did not, according to the testimony which is uncontradicted, .. discuss anything with each other as a group of three or otherwise. On appeal, Shelton maintains that such a gathering was a meeting under the terms of FOIA. We disagree. The public policy of the Commonwealth ensures the people of the Commonwealth ready access to public records in the custody of a public body or its officers and employees, and free entry to meetings of public bodies wherein the business of the people is being conducted. Code § 2.2-3700(B). But FOIA shall not be construed to discourage the free discussion by government officials or employees of public matters with the citizens of the Commonwealth. Id. Obviously, the balance between these values must be considered on a case-by-case basis according the facts presented. Here, FOIA gives additional guidance: Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prohibit the gathering or attendance of two or more members of a public body (i) at any place or function where no part of the purpose of such gathering or attendance is the discussion or transaction of any public business, and such gathering or attendance was not called or prearranged with any purpose of discussing or transacting any business of the public body or (ii) at a public forum, candidate appearance, or debate, the purpose of which is to inform the electorate and not to transact public business or to hold discussions relating to the transaction of public business, even though the performance of the members individually or collectively in the conduct of public business may be a topic of discussion or debate at such public meeting. Code § 2.2-3707(G). The trial court was not plainly wrong or without evidence to support its judgment that the Charlotte Street gathering was a citizen-organized informational forum and that no part of the purpose of the gathering or attendance was the discussion or transaction of any public business. The undisputed evidence at trial was that City Council did not have any business pending before it on the issue of traffic controls, nor was it likely to have such matters come before it in the future. The trial court did not err in granting summary judgment to Defendants on Count XVII.