Mayor Kennedy takes heat over
unannounced closed door meeting
NEWBURGH – Residents criticized Mayor Judy Kennedy on Tuesday for the way an emergency city council meeting was held on Monday evening.
Kennedy said that the session was called to address a personnel issue.
But residents who attended a news conference at which the mayor provided an update on the city water contamination issue, said when they learned of the executive session and went to City Hall Monday evening, the doors to the council chambers were locked. They also claimed there was no public portion of the meeting prior to the closed-door part, something that is required.
The city also did not send out a notice of the meeting or post it on its website prior to it, an apparent violation of the open meetings law.
City Manager Michael Ciaravino was not at the Tuesday news conference. Mayor Kennedy said he had a medical emergency and was in the hospital.
