City of Gainesville Commissioner Mail Archive

Mayor Harvey Ward, City Commissioners, and staff, yesterday I was barred from entering the Board meeting on the General Employees Pension plan, and a Gainesville taxpayer Bana Kabalan was forbidden from entering and publicly commenting on the meeting.

Florida’s SunShine laws guarantee a right of access to all public meetings held by government officials. We had a constitutional right to be in that meeting but weren’t allowed. Bona has a right to public comment as a citizen but Mayor Ward chose not to fulfill the request submitted by clerk Kristen Bryant, asking to give Bona a chance to comment on the meeting that she was barred from attending.

It's one thing when public officials like yourselves violate the constitutional rights of a student journalist like myself, that’s to be expected, but it is a far greater violation when you forbid a public taxpaying Gainesville homeowner from entering a meeting and further violate her civil rights by preventing her from public commenting.

Ms. Bryant said on audio recording that the City had a “breakdown in protocol.” What I understand from this is that it is protocol for the City of Gainesville to obey constitutional rights of citizens and allow them their right to be a participant in public comment.

A protocol breakdown is not something simple that I can just walk away from, especially when constitutional rights are being violated.

I request that Gainesville governance makes a public apology, conducts an investigation, and prepares a full report detailing exactly why my constitutional rights and Kabalan’s constitutional rights were violated, and how Sunshine Laws were so egregiously violated, so that this type of incident may never happen again.

I trust one of your staff will begin an investigation into this matter by next week. Please let me know how this matter will be settled or I may contact the Florida Commission of Ethics. I truly believe this matter will be settled appropriately before higher authorities are contacted.

Thank you,

Jack Walden

jaw19497@gmail.com

Journalist

Gainesville Public Information Services (GnvInfo.com)

Date Received:	9/6/2024 7:02:41 PM
To:	Bryant, Kristen; Novack, Alison L; Eastman, Bryan M; Willits, Casey W; Book, Edwin A; Walker, Desmon N; Saco, Reina E; Chestnut, Cynthia M; Ward, Harvey L
Cc:
From:	Jack Walden
Subject:	[EXTERNAL] Notification of SunShine Law Violation
Attachments:
Message:	Mayor Harvey Ward, City Commissioners, and staff, yesterday I was barred from entering the Board meeting on the General Employees Pension plan, and a Gainesville taxpayer Bana Kabalan was forbidden from entering and publicly commenting on the meeting. Florida’s SunShine laws guarantee a right of access to all public meetings held by government officials. We had a constitutional right to be in that meeting but weren’t allowed. Bona has a right to public comment as a citizen but Mayor Ward chose not to fulfill the request submitted by clerk Kristen Bryant, asking to give Bona a chance to comment on the meeting that she was barred from attending. It's one thing when public officials like yourselves violate the constitutional rights of a student journalist like myself, that’s to be expected, but it is a far greater violation when you forbid a public taxpaying Gainesville homeowner from entering a meeting and further violate her civil rights by preventing her from public commenting. Ms. Bryant said on audio recording that the City had a “breakdown in protocol.” What I understand from this is that it is protocol for the City of Gainesville to obey constitutional rights of citizens and allow them their right to be a participant in public comment. A protocol breakdown is not something simple that I can just walk away from, especially when constitutional rights are being violated. I request that Gainesville governance makes a public apology, conducts an investigation, and prepares a full report detailing exactly why my constitutional rights and Kabalan’s constitutional rights were violated, and how Sunshine Laws were so egregiously violated, so that this type of incident may never happen again. I trust one of your staff will begin an investigation into this matter by next week. Please let me know how this matter will be settled or I may contact the Florida Commission of Ethics. I truly believe this matter will be settled appropriately before higher authorities are contacted. Thank you, Jack Walden jaw19497@gmail.com Journalist Gainesville Public Information Services (GnvInfo.com)

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