Thursday, March 15, 2007

Video tape policy on the agenda again at Planning Commission

The next meeting, bring your video camera, is March 20, 2007 at the end of a meeting that begins at 2 pm.
See the agenda

F. Director’s Report
* Green Building Task Force, Ismail
* Bar Task Force, Ford
* Staff Recommendation on Video Taping, Smith
* City-Wide Investment Report, Andrews
Of note, the Bar Task Force is going to get mentions too.

UPDATE: Hanna, Dolores would like to recall the message, "Revised Planning Commission Agenda for March 20, 2007".

The agenda has been changed three times now. It looks like SMITH isn't the one going to lead the discussion. See comments.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Did they let you videotape?

Mark Rauterkus said...

Not exactly.

They are in discussions as to if and how one can video tape their (OUR) meetings.

I went to a meeting the other month. I pulled out my video camera. I got a few moments on tape of them talking about a proposed law, and a map on the wall of my neighborhood (South Side).

Then I left.

Soon after I departed, they stopped the meeting, posted signs and outlawed the use of video recorders.

Clarification was requested. Now they are doing introspection.

They might toss you out if you use video -- they might not. We might want to test them.

Have you been to jail for justice recently?

Anonymous said...

Have you been to jail for justice recently?

No, but I sure have people waiting in the wings for me to screw up. I trust they will be there with the cameras when I do.

Case law is on you side. Not very recent, but it's of no concern. You are allowed to video tape.

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?navby=search&case=/data2/circs/3rd/992286p.html

http://www.pa-newspaper.org/web/2005/10/sunshine_act.aspx#Use_of_equipment_during_meetings

Might I suggest an objection at the time of the violation?

(c) Objection. Any person has the right to raise an objection at any time to a perceived violation of this chapter at any meeting of a board or council of a political subdivision or an authority created by a political subdivision.

Living in a suburb of Pittsburgh that does things "the way we have always done them" well, you get to learn these things.

Anonymous said...

When is the next meeting?

Mark Rauterkus said...

See the agenda in the link in the blog posting. I think the next meeting of this body is Tuesday,
March 20 at 1:30 pre-agenda and 2 pm meeting.

Mark Rauterkus said...

Great pointer: Thanks. It reads, in part:



OPINION OF THE COURT

SCIRICA, Circuit Judge .

In this civil rights action, real estate developer Whiteland Woods, L.P., a subsidiary of Toll Brothers, asserts that its First and Fourteenth Amendment rights were violated by a township's refusal to allow videotaping of a meeting of the Township Planning Commission. In a parallel state court action, the township acknowledged that Pennsylvania's Sunshine Act, 65 Pa. Stat. Ann. §§ 271-86 (West Supp. 1998), requires the township to allow videotaping of Planning Commission proceedings and agreed not to enforce the ban at future meetings. Whiteland Woods then filed this lawsuit under 42 U.S.C.A. § 1983 (West 1994) seeking monetary damages and attorney's fees. The District Court granted defendants' motion for summary judgment.

Anonymous said...

Ah! Once again the painfully obvious stares me in the face.

Anonymous said...

Mark,

Pay attention to this part:

Whiteland Woods then filed this lawsuit under 42 U.S.C.A. § 1983 (West 1994) seeking monetary damages and attorney's fees. The District Court granted defendants' motion for summary judgment.

The plan of attack is:

Videotape.
Have them tell you to stop.
Do so.
Object.
Sue.
Collect.... then
Make sure every MSM outlet know about the settlement and make them look foolish. A waste of tax dollars to assert the rights that you have.

You should be able to find a lawyer to take this on contingency no problem. it's a slam dunk.

Mark Rauterkus said...

Updated agenda -- that was retracted???

Download the original attachment

Division of Development Administration and Review

City of Pittsburgh, Department of City Planning

200 Ross Street, Third Floor

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219

REVISED

PLANNING COMMISSION ~ MARCH 20, 2007

_______________________________________________________________________

BRIEFING 1:30 p.m.

1. HRC #0701 - Allegheny Stables Historic Designation, 836 West North Avenue, Klingensmith
2. PDP #0601 - Bayard and Ruskin, Elmhurst Group, Smith
3. CB 2006-0935 - Sections 911.02 & 911.04 (Bar Legislation), Smith
4. Master Development Plan #0647 - Majestic Star Casino, Smith
5. PDP #0713 - Majestic Star Casino, demolition, Smith



AGENDA 2:00 p.m.

1. Approval of March 6, 2007 Commission Minutes



B. Correspondence

C. Plan of Lots Tymoczko

1. Museum Park Hotel Consolidation Plan of Lots (Forbes Avenue east of Craig), 4th Ward
2. Mellon Street Plan of Lots No. 3 (Mellon Street and Livery Way), 11th Ward
3. Franklin West Plan of Lots (Shady Avenue between Kentucky and Howe Sts.), 7th Ward
4. Noftz Consolidation Plan of Lots (Penn Avenue between 28th Street & 29th Street), 6th Ward
5. Revised Rogers Plan of Lots (Cassabill Drive south of Marina Drive), 31st Ward
6. North Shore Residence Inn Plan of Lots (West General Robinson and Mazeroski Way), 22nd Ward

7. Stangrecki & Delancey Plan of Lots (Woodbourne Ave. and Rockford Ave.), 19th Ward

D. Action Only

8. Zone Change Petition #739 - Land Use Control File #C-689, Becks Run Road, Tymoczko

(POSTPONED AT APPLICANT’S REQUEST)

E. Hearing and Action

9. FLDP #0707 - BridgeSide II, Pittsburgh Technology Center, Tymoczko
10. SPR #0712 - 521 Shady Avenue, Shady Avenue Apartments, Tymoczko



F. Director’s Report

+ Green Building Task Force, Ismail
+ Bar Task Force, Ford
+ Staff Recommendation on Video Taping, Tymoczko
+ City-Wide Investment Report, Andrews


G. Adjourn

Mark Rauterkus said...

So far as to the advice above.

I did video tape.
They did tell me to stop.
I did object. I've been to the office a few times. I've got calles from the Director. I've called the chairwoman.

I'm waiting for this to be resolved. Still. It isn't yet. It has been weeks.

Next step, sue.

We'll see what happens on Tuesday. They've been playing with the agenda. What's up with that?

It would be nice if there were others there to tape too.

I don't want to wait until the end of the meeting. I want to tape things earlier in the agenda.