This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Today, there's this:

— UTA switches course, will open committee meetings following negative feedback —Lee Davidson | The Salt Lake Tribune

"In the face of mounting public pressure, the Utah Transit Authority reversed its previous decision to close its board committee meetings

"The change was announced in a brief statement from UTA Chairman H. David Burton posted Tuesday on the agency's website.

" 'In response to concerns we have heard from stakeholders and the public regarding the changes to the board meeting schedule, the board is announcing that future meetings will be open to the public,' Burton said. ..."

Negative feedback? Mounting public pressure?

That's our job.

— UTA needs to break the secrecy habit — Salt Lake Tribune Editorial, May 12

"The pull felt by the board and management of the Utah Transit Authority to ignore its nature as a public agency and keep various — or any — of its activities out of public view is apparently very strong indeed.

"How else to explain a recent decision that meetings of the UTA board's various committees are to become closed-door 'work sessions' from which the public that rides, and pays for, the transit system will be excluded. ..."

— UTA's closing of committee meetings violates the Open Meetings Act — Ogden Standard-Examiner Editorial, May 13

" ... Issues that affect public transportation users are not — as UTA spokesman Remi Barron says — 'informal work sessions.' They are part of the process, debates, discussions, all of it, that UTA uses to reach a final decision. ..."

Like to think it was the power of the press. And it was, it you count Lee Davidson's original articles explaining the policy.

But the thundering leaders, as they say in the U.K., were probably less important than:

— County Council considers blocking $150M in UTA funding over closed meetings — Mike Gorrell | The Salt Lake Tribune

And:

— Gov. Gary Herbert among critics of UTA decision to hold closed-door meetings — Lee Davidson | The Salt Lake Tribune