by Casey Mann, Senior Correspondent

Under the direction of its new Town Manager Chris Kennedy, the town of Pittsboro is moving toward creating a more transparent and accessible municipal government.

In July, Kennedy was chosen to fill the role of town manager after the Pittsboro Board of Commissioners asked for the resignation of Bryan Gruesbeck in January. Media reports at that time noted concerns about the town following open meetings law including noticing of meetings, minutes and records of meetings and accessibility of documents.

Kennedy appears to have taken those concerns seriously.

Since starting full-time in August, Kennedy has worked with staff to update online documents, fix errors and update ordinances to ensure the work of the town adheres to standard practices. This includes the creation of a “sunshine” list Kennedy announced at the town’s Sept. 14 meeting.

Anyone who is an “interested party” to the workings of the town of Pittsboro and its Board of Commissioners are able to sign up for the list. Those on the “sunshine list” will receive information about public meetings, information from the Board of Commissioner packets and any other relevant information that may be of interest to the public.

Information will be sent to those on the “sunshine list” via email as a blind copy, ensuring that the privacy of those who are on the list is preserved. To sign up for the town of Pittsboro’s “sunshine list,” contact Pittsboro Town Clerk Cassandra Bullock at cbullock@pittsboronc.gov.

Casey Mann is a Senior Correspondent for the Chatham County Line and can be reached at news@chathamcountyline.org.