Politics & Government

Fredericksburg Baseball: Why Was The Public Locked Out of Meeting?

After Suns' offer fails to connect, city makes its pitch behind closed doors.

Note: The article was updated Aug. 2 to note two items were presented to City Council. There was a general proposal for financing a stadium on July 9. Separately, a lease proposed by the Hagerstown Suns was presented July 1. The original article had only referenced a "Hagerstown Suns proposal."

By Greg Hambrick and Susan Larson


A planned public meeting was cancelled Monday between the Hagerstown Suns and the Fredericksburg City Council's Baseball Committee. But an unannounced closed meeting was held instead.

The Baseball Committee composed of Vice-Mayor Brad Ellis, Councilman Fred Howe and City Manager Bev Cameron met with representatives of the Hagerstown Suns Baseball team.

In a July 9 public meeting, an overwhelming number of speakers told City Council to say 'no' to a financing plan for a stadium. The Hagerstown Suns submitted a proposed lease to the city in a workshop July 1. City Council voted to begin talks with the Suns to draft an acceptable deal ready for council's consideration Aug. 13, noting that all financing options were on the table.

“We only have two weeks left before we have to present a draft to City Council and move to the next step,” Howe told Patch Wednesday morning. 

State law allows for closed sessions of public bodies for several reasons, including competitive negotiations, but the law requires public notification and a public vote from the body to take talks behind closed doors.

City staff did not return Patch calls for comment, but Howe called the meeting a "fact-finding mission" and said that public notification was not required.

“The City Manager [Bev Cameron] presented the city’s available options to team owner Bruce Quinn,” he said, stressing there were no negotiations.

Howe noted that the city has only met with the team once before, during a July 1 work session.

“The City Manager is pulling together information from the team and we will meet again in a week,” Howe said.  He said that meeting also would be closed.

What do you think? What kind of access and information should be expected in these baseball stadium talks?


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