u/BurnBabyBurn-9000

To the Residents of Erie and the Members of Erie City Council:

We, the undersigned citizens and residents of Erie, Pennsylvania, respectfully call for the resignation of Councilman Ed Brzezinski from Erie City Council.
Public officials are entrusted with the responsibility of serving all members of the community with professionalism, respect, civility, and integrity. Elected representatives must foster an environment where residents, community leaders, and fellow public servants can participate in public discourse without being subjected to disrespectful, dismissive, or inappropriate treatment.

Recent comments made by Councilman Ed Brzezinski during council proceedings directed toward Andre Horton and Dr. Tyler Titus have raised serious concerns among members of the community regarding his conduct, professionalism, and ability to effectively represent all residents of Erie. Public meetings should be places where differing viewpoints can be discussed respectfully and where all individuals are treated with dignity.
The citizens of Erie deserve leadership that promotes constructive dialogue, accountability, transparency, and mutual respect. When elected officials engage in conduct that undermines public confidence or creates division within the community, it becomes necessary for residents to voice their concerns and demand accountability.

In case someone does not know, 
Professional respect is the ethical and professional obligation to treat colleagues, constituents, stakeholders, and members of the public with courtesy, fairness, dignity, and consideration, while fostering an environment of mutual trust, constructive dialogue, and accountability. It requires maintaining civility and professionalism at all times, particularly when addressing differing viewpoints or resolving disagreements.

For elected officials, professional respect is especially important because it helps maintain public confidence, promotes productive governance, and ensures that all community members are treated equitably and with dignity.
Therefore, we respectfully request that Councilman Ed Brzezinski resign from his position on Erie City Council and allow for leadership that reflects the values of respect, inclusion, professionalism, and public service expected by the citizens of Erie.
By signing this petition, we affirm our belief that public officials should be held to a high standard of conduct and that respectful leadership is essential to maintaining the public's trust in local government.

https://www.change.org/p/ed-brzezinski-needs-to-resign

Four of our neighbors were taken this morning roofing near Saint Paul’s Church.

Resharing the rapid response hotline for the community: (814) 580-7090.

Statement from Rock Copeland.
Thank you.

Letter sent to Erie county council following the questions that arose regarding cell phone policy:

Erie County Council
Erie County Courthouse
140 West Sixth Street
Erie, Pennsylvania 16501

Re: Public Right to Record County Council Meetings — Pennsylvania Sunshine Act, 65 Pa.C.S. § 711

Dear Members of Erie County Council:

I write on behalf of members of the public who intend to attend the Erie County Council meetings to formally notify the Council that we expect to exercise our statutory right to record meetings using our personal cell phones, as expressly guaranteed by the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act, 65 Pa.C.S. § 711.
Statutory Right to Record Public Meetings
Section 711(a) of the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act is unambiguous: “A person attending a meeting of an agency shall have the right to use recording devices to record all the proceedings.” This right is not discretionary. It belongs to any member of the public who attends a meeting that is open to the public, regardless of whether they are a member of the press, an activist, or an ordinary constituent. The right applies to audio and video recording alike. See Hain v. Board of School Directors of Reading School District, 641 A.2d 661 (Pa. Cmwlth. 1994).
Erie County Council, as a governing body of a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is squarely within the definition of “agency” under 65 Pa.C.S. § 703. Its public meetings are therefore governed in full by the Sunshine Act, including the recording rights codified in § 711.
The Courthouse Cell Phone Policy Cannot Override State Law
We are aware that the Erie County Courthouse currently enforces a policy requiring visitors to lock their cell phones in security pouches or storage bags upon entry. We do not dispute that courthouses may impose reasonable security measures in certain contexts. However, when that policy is applied to members of the public attending a Sunshine Act–covered meeting of the County Council, it directly conflicts with — and is preempted by — state law.
Section 710 of the Sunshine Act permits agencies to adopt “rules and regulations necessary for the conduct of its meetings and the maintenance of order,” but critically specifies that “[t]he rules and regulations shall not be made to violate the intent of this chapter.” The Pennsylvania Office of Open Records has confirmed that while agencies may adopt reasonable rules governing how recording devices are used (for example, to avoid disruption), such rules “cannot be an attempt to prevent a member of the public from recording a meeting.” A blanket policy that physically disables attendees from using their recording devices — by locking phones in a bag for the duration of the meeting — is precisely such an attempt. It does not regulate the manner of recording; it eliminates the right entirely.
Expectations for Erie County Council Meetings
We respectfully but unequivocally inform the Council of the following expectations for council meetings moving forward:
1.  Members of the public attending Council meetings will bring their cell phones into the meeting room and will use them to record the proceedings, as is their right under 65 Pa.C.S. § 711.
2.  Any attempt by courthouse security or Council staff to confiscate, disable, or require the storage of attendees’ cell phones as a condition of entry to — or continued attendance at — the Council meeting will be understood as a violation of the Sunshine Act.
3.  Any such violation will be formally objected to on the record at the meeting pursuant to 65 Pa.C.S. § 710.1(c), and we reserve all rights to seek judicial relief in the Erie County Court of Common Pleas, as permitted under 65 Pa.C.S. § 715.
We are not asking the Council to abandon all security considerations. We simply ask that the Council coordinate with courthouse administration to implement an exception to the cell phone pouch policy that allows Council meeting attendees to retain their phones during the meeting, consistent with the Council’s obligations under state law. This is a straightforward accommodation, and it is legally required.
We hope to attend Council meetings as engaged and law-abiding members of the public, and we trust that the Council will fulfill its Sunshine Act obligations accordingly. Please confirm receipt of this letter and advise us of any steps the Council intends to take prior to the meeting.

Respectfully,

Resident of Erie County, Pennsylvania

Legal References
Pennsylvania Sunshine Act, 65 Pa.C.S. §§ 701–716
§ 711(a) — Right to use recording devices at public meetings
§ 710 — Agency rules may not violate the intent of the Act
§ 710.1(c) — Right to object to perceived violations on the record
§ 715 — Jurisdiction and venue for judicial relief (Court of Common Pleas)
Hain v. Board of School Directors of Reading School District, 641 A.2d 661 (Pa. Cmwlth. 1994) — right to record extends to video
PA Office of Open Records — Sunshine Act FAQ (openrecords.pa.gov)