Below is the meeting schedule for boards and committees that choose to publish their meeting schedules in advance, which are subject to change. Additional meeting may be added to their meeting schedules as necessary.

The public is denied equal access to the very non-exempt meeting materials board and committee members rely on. Rather than posting them online as the law intends, Town Manager Karyn E. Clark insists that residents must file a Public Records Law request before the meeting just to see them. This is not transparency—it is deliberate obstruction. It undermines public participation, violates the spirit of the Public Records Law, and exposes the Town to potential Open Meeting Law challenges for withholding information essential to informed discussion.

How are you these dates determined?

The meeting date is chosen by the board or committee members.

The agenda posting date is mandated by the Open Meeting Law—no later than 48 hours before the meeting (two business days). By that deadline, all meeting materials should already be finalized and made available to both members and the public at the same time, typically through the Town’s website.

Yet under the policy imposed by Town Manager Karyn E. Clark, residents are told they must file a Public Records Law request at least 10 business days before the agenda is even posted. This forces the public to somehow predict what materials will exist and request them before they are even created—an absurd and impossible standard designed to block access rather than provide it. Public records do not belong to town staff; they belong to the people. Staff are merely custodians of those records, not gatekeepers with the power to decide what the public is allowed to see.

How do you make a Public Records Law request?

The best method is to send an email message to the Town Manager Karyn E. Clark, as the Records Access Officer (RAO) with your specific request (see below for an example of a Public Records Law request for meeting materials):

Dear Karyn E. Clark:
Pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 66, Section 10 (the Public Records Law) and Chapter 30A, Section 22 (the Open Meeting Law), I hereby request electronic copies of all public records prepared for, distributed prior to, or provided during the upcoming [Board or Committee Name] meeting scheduled for [Meeting Date]. This request specifically encompasses all materials meeting the statutory definition of public records under M.G.L. c.4, §7(26), including, but not limited to, all books, papers, maps, photographs, recorded tapes, financial statements, statistical tabulations, electronic communications, and other documentary materials or data, irrespective of physical form or characteristics, made or received by any officer or employee of a Massachusetts governmental entity, excepting only those documents falling within the enumerated exemptions of M.G.L. c.4, §7(26)(a) through (n).
Included within this request are all meeting packets, presentations, exhibits, draft and final versions of documents, memoranda, or other supporting materials intended for presentation, discussion, or deliberation at the referenced meeting, as well as any materials distributed to the board or committee in advance of or at the meeting. Further, this request encompasses any communications or procedural documentation concerning the distribution of the aforesaid materials.
Please ensure that all requested records and meeting materials are transmitted and received by the public no later than the time the agenda is publicly posted or otherwise made available as required by the Open Meeting Law, and in any event sufficiently in advance of the scheduled meeting start time to provide reasonable opportunity for public review and meaningful participation.
To facilitate public oversight and meaningful participation, please provide all records electronically in a universally accessible and readable format, such as unencrypted PDF files, without restriction by proprietary software, password protection, or authenticated access requirements.
These materials must be provided timely in accordance with the Open Meeting Law and accompany the agenda. The Attorney General’s Open Meeting Law Guide (2025) recommends that documents distributed to board members for open meetings be simultaneously accessible to the public. Failure to do so violates both the Open Meeting Law and Public Records Law, which may result in complaints to the Supervisor of Records and/or the Attorney General’s Division of Open Government for enforcement.
Best,
--
[Your Name]
[Your Email Address]

How to file a Public Records Law Complaint

When a public records request is ignored, delayed beyond the legal timeframe, or only partially fulfilled, the law provides a remedy. Under the Massachusetts Public Records Law, residents have the right to file a formal complaint with the Supervisor of Records in the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Office. This complaint process is designed to hold government bodies accountable and ensure that public records are not withheld, redacted without justification, or released selectively.

Here is an example complaint for either no or partial public records being delivered within 10 business days, which excludes Satudays, Sundays, and legal holidays.

Dear Supervisor of Records - Public Records Division:

I am submitting this complaint under the Massachusetts Public Records Law, M.G.L. c.66, §10, regarding the Town of Millbury’s partial failure to provide the public records I requested.

On [Public Records Request Date], I submitted a written email request to the Town’s Records Access Officer (RAO) for the following records: electronic copies of all public records prepared for, distributed prior to, or provided during the upcoming Planning Board meeting scheduled for [Meeting Date]. This request specifically encompasses all materials meeting the statutory definition of public records under M.G.L. c.4, §7(26), including, but not limited to, all books, papers, maps, photographs, recorded tapes, financial statements, statistical tabulations, electronic communications, and other documentary materials or data, irrespective of physical form or characteristics, made or received by any officer or employee of a Massachusetts governmental entity, excepting only those documents falling within the enumerated exemptions of M.G.L. c.4, §7(26)(a) through (n). The Town has provided some records in response. However, based on the description of the documents requested and the Town’s own acknowledgment, it is clear that additional responsive records exist in the Town’s custody. These records have not been produced, nor has the Town cited any applicable exemption under M.G.L. c.4, §7(26) to justify withholding them.

The Public Records Law requires that all non-exempt records be disclosed. Under M.G.L. c.66, §10(a), the RAO is obligated to provide access to all requested public records within the statutory timeframe, except where a specific statutory exemption applies. A failure to release non-exempt records is a violation of the law.

Because the Town has not fulfilled its duty to provide all responsive non-exempt records, I am requesting your office’s review of this matter under 950 CMR 32.08(1). I respectfully ask that you order the Town of Millbury to disclose the withheld records in full compliance with law.

Attached are copies of my original request dated [Public Records Request Date], the records provided by the Town to date, and any correspondence received from the Town regarding this matter.

Thank you for your attention to this complaint.

Best,
--
[Your Name]
[Your Email Address]