Judge Rules Metro Soccer Stadium Meeting Violated Open Meetings Act - Articles

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Judge Rules Metro Soccer Stadium Meeting Violated Open Meetings Act

Posted by: Kate Prince on Jun 25, 2020

Davidson County Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle has ruled that Metro’s Sports Authority violated the Open Meetings Act in November 2018 when it met to approve the contract for a new professional soccer stadium, WPLN reports. Lyle says that $192 million contract between Metro and Mortenson/Messer Construction Company has no effect. The ruling states that the delayed 48-hour notice of the irregularly scheduled meeting to approve the contract, “when there was no immediate urgency or emergency for such short notice, was inadequate notice to the public.” In the lawsuit, Metro said it hadn’t violated the Open Meetings Act because the public can only observe Sports Authority meetings, but there’s no allocated time for comments. Lyle called that argument “irrelevant.” Metro will now have to reaffirm the contract in a public meeting if it wants to move forward with the stadium.