You likely have not heard of the village of Goodrich, Michigan, a small village of under 2000 folks southeast of Flint until now, by dint of its village president making a rather strong proclamation at the last meeting

After a lengthy meeting that lasted over 100 minutes, with a rather active public chiming in on many issues throughout, the village council president ended a moderate list of announcements before announcing in the last minute of the meeting, at around the 1:47:35 of this officially recorded video you can find at the village's website a profound edict about future meetings:

Just in case, you couldn't believe that video, another privately-manned camera caught the progressive decree:

Goodrich Village President Mark Baldwin:  "Upon Adjournment of this meeting tonight, those with video and audio equipment recording devices without permission, you are no longer be able to, you will no longer have the consent to record anyone on the village property; it's a violation of their Constitutional rights.  You wouldn't want it in your workplace, you wouldn't want it in your home.

I've had complaints (crosstalk) it's a public building yes (cross talk questioning legality) I've looked into that, and as long as I have stated, you are not allowed to take video of anyone without their permission (cross talk) do what you want to do, I have nothing more to say."

Right after this declaration of public official rights, a councilor makes the motion to adjourn, it is quickly seconded, and voted on.  Village President Baldwin and his cronies on the Goodrich Council might want to look once again over the laws and the wide variety of case law in Michigan before they sap the resources of their village into defending such a vile attempt at dodging public accountability laws.

The first resource he needs to check is the State's Open Meetings Act, Section 3(1) of the OMA says:

"The right of a person to attend a meeting of a public body includes the right to tape-record, to videotape, to broadcast live on radio, and to telecast live on television the proceedings of a public body at a public meeting. The exercise of this right shall not be dependent upon the prior approval of the public body."  A lofty village council president cannot violate the dictates of state law for general recording of an open meeting. 

Restricting any recording that does not disrupt the proceedings should thus not even be on the table.  The council is taken to task several times during the meeting by Goodrich's XLFD, a young lady who confronts the council four times during the night (4:18, 6:26, 24:00, and 1:38:25) respectfully telling them how they are not coming even close in following their duties.  Others also voice dissent; with the proclamation of no recording, they instantly become very believable in their criticisms of the fallibility of the public body.

If the council wants to conduct their business in private, there are certain situations they can declare a closed session.

Another resource the president should look into is the compiled Michigan state law on unlawful recording.   MCL 750.539a section 1, defines a "private place" as "a place where one may reasonably expect to be safe from casual or hostile intrusion or surveillance but does not include a place to which the public or substantial group of the public has access."

The rest of the material in that section of law effectively describes unlawful recording to happen only in private places, so reasonable recording in a public place can rarely be declared to affect the privacy of public officials situated there to conduct issues of public policy.  Filming in the public bathroom stalls notwithstanding, an issue of law our own Ludington leaders need help with.

Perhaps the time is right for the village of Goodrich to dissolve itself and become one with Atlas Township.  Chances are they would have better officials than what they have now.

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I like the female X and her attitude and she's much prettier than you. It looks like she gets the same treatment from her council that  you get from Ludington's.  I guess Ludington isn't the only town that wants to ball bust the Constitution.

She mentioned lawsuits. Have you any information on that?

No information on any lawsuits vs. the Village of Goodrich since 2003, since the village won in the appeals court over a tax/fee issue versus a local golf course.  By the way, you spelled 'pettier' wrong, LOL.

Maybe the citizens of Goodrich should watch a few of the classic Ludington City Council meetings to see what their future will be like under a kleptocracy form of Government their current leaders wish to install. They will go from the lively banter they now have to a bunch of sullen toad council members who sit there tuned to ignore while giving them 5 minutes to speak.  

Hopefully the citizens of Goodrich will have more sense than the voters of Ludington  and boot their current city government to the curb in the next election for suggesting to install such a system.

I do not wish to imply that all the council members of Ludington are toads  but they do seem to be more interested in the flies that buzz around their heads rather than listening to speakers at the podium.

Anybody reading the agenda and minutes of the Ludington Council meetings over the last year should have more than enough to make it clear that the city leadership is out for more money and power at the expense of the general citizens.  You can even edit the public's comments out of them and still get that impression by the scope of their legislation. 

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