Was told by someone in the last few days that there are those that work for Somervell County that believe I run around recording everybody secretly. Hah. I have recorded county meetings (and other government meetings) out in the open when attending, which is my right to do via the Texas Open Meetings Act. I have NOT ever secretly recorded anyone in a government location, office or job. (I did one time some years back record the security guard at Pecan Plantation in Hood County over the issue of Somervell County residents paying taxes to maintain a clinic inside a gated community in a county that has its OWN hospital district. for which they, at least at that time, paid no taxes-had an election to make Hood County residents pay 2 cents for their district but it did not pass-2024, so they still pay zero tax, unlike us in Somervell County) Anyway, makes me wonder what the people who are spreading such a false rumour are worried about.
Maybe this is in reference to the sign that Trey Brown had put in some of the annex on the wall, which has no legal basis nor law behind it, and in fact, directly contradicts existing law. The sign not only does not cite a law but violates the law on the face of it, and it’s weird to me that a county attorney would have been the one to put these up-AND these can be safely ignored. Alan West has told me the Sheriff’s Dept would not arrest anyone for recording because it does NOT violate a law. I wondered who the heck got in Trey’s ear to do this, as it didn’t seem like it was anything he would decide to do on his own. I did try to find out but Brown and Chambers did not answer that question. (I do not know this but I believe it might have been a certain person who has been fired recently because I can’t think of anyone else who would give a hoot).
What I did do fairly recently was take my camera in to a couple of the offices that had that ridiculous sign on the wall in front of it, tell the person in the office that I was going to record them, and then record them on video. Not secretly. I actually, at least up to this point, have not secretly recorded anybody in a govt building and I generally never do, and if I did want to do that, I would let the person know I was doing it.
Yesterday I was in the annex and had a question for Nikki Weedon. Her office is in a part of the building that has a security reader in front. You press the button and let whoever answers (it was Karen McPherson this day) who you want to see and usually, the door just opens and you can walk back to the PUBLIC office where various elected officials are. That day, I could her the clomp-clomp-clomp as Karen walked to Nikkis office and then Nikki came and walked outside in the hall. I thought that was weird but didn’t really matter to me if she wanted to talk in the hallway or in her office; it did leave our conversation where anyone could hear it, also okay with me, and the admin for Danny overheard and came out in the hall to add her two cents for my question.
Occurred to me this morning that maybe Nikki thought that by walking out, IF I was going to secretly record her or anything about the set of offices under her control, she would avoid that by having the conversation in the hall. Made me laugh when I thought that might be. I do not know why she did that, again doesn’t matter to me in this instance. I do wonder who, if anyone, has the locked office that used to be used by all in that area, and, at last glance, was being kept and not used for anyone else.
Going to write some more about the Texas Public Information Act on another post, but here is what I’m thinking about the *secretly* recording aspect. Again, I don’t do that and never have with government, but, after seeing the Sheriff’s Dept body cams, maybe that’s what I should get too for any time I go any government location. That is, wear a body cam prominently strapped to my body, maybe it would have a light that goes on or otherwise notifies people they are being recorded. At least, that way, instead of listening or believing bullchit baloney about me recording, they could KNOW that I am…. lawfullly.. despite what Trey Brown tries to foist on people. P.S. Do people realize that Kelly, the admin for Danny Chambers, monitors cameras at her desk and can see all kinds of things going on in the annex? Someone also told me, interestingly, that there are cameras in the Expo but not in or around the business office. If that is true, why the heck not?
