Watchdog challenges secret council meetings

By Steve Visser

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Gadfly Matthew Cardinale is suing the Atlanta City Council for circumventing the state Open Meetings Law.

He wants to stop city staff from briefing council committees privately. The committees exclude the public by claiming not to have a quorum.

Cardinale contends case law prohibits this practice and also said the committees meet privately even with a quorum.

Cardinale, a non-lawyer representing himself, lost a 2010 lawsuit challenging a secret council vote to limit public speaking  at meetings. This time he may have more chops.

Attorney General Sam Olen's office is reviewing the lawsuit to decide whether to join the action. Olens made open meetings a signature issue for his office.