It’s unfortunate that one of the first actions of the newly organized Fort Morgan City Council appears to have been a violation of Colorado’s open meeting laws. There is no indication that the council returned to open session to vote on that action; instead, we’ve been told the council simply announced that staff had been directed to terminate the contract. Whether they formally voted in secret or not, Colorado law is clear that no decisions of any kind can be made by a local public body during an executive session. Setting aside the question of whether the Fort Morgan community is best served by the use of police resources to operate an animal shelter, the action raises questions of transparency and accountability. On what other issues might the council members prefer to keep their individual positions hidden?