Resident alleges repeated FOIA/open‑meeting violations, asks council for transparency fixes

Jeff Melbourne, a Ward 3 resident, used the public‑comment period at the Sept. 8 Winchester City Council meeting to allege multiple violations of Virginia’s open‑meeting and FOIA rules by the council.

"Well, folks, history repeats itself once again on the January 24," Melbourne said, alleging the body failed to return to open forum after a closed meeting and citing a prior lawsuit as precedent. He asked the council to explain what policies or procedures would be implemented to prevent a recurrence and said that "when questions involving compliance with Virginia FOIA law go unanswered, that trust is further damaged." The comment followed the council’s vote earlier in the meeting to add an executive session to the agenda.

The council did not provide an on‑the‑record response during public comment. Council members later moved the meeting into the added closed session (item 12.6) and certified afterward that only authorized subjects had been discussed. Melbourne told the council the public deserves clear explanations and accountability when open‑meeting procedures are at issue.

The complaint references prior litigation mentioned by Melbourne but the council did not take formal action during the Sept. 8 session to address or investigate his specific allegations. Melbourne asked for a policy or procedural change to ensure future compliance; no commitment to a specific follow‑up was recorded on the meeting record that night.