[TMI]

Lynchburg, VA - An appeal from Liberty University (web) to Lynchburg City Council (web) for a zoning change turned into a debate over trust.

During Tuesday afternoon's meeting, Liberty's attorney announced the school made a secret recording of a meeting last week between the city manager, the mayor, and LU administrators in the chancellor's office.

Liberty's attorney Bill McRorie says he does not know who called for the recording.

Liberty gave us a piece of the recording. The camera looks like it was placed between books on a shelf.

During last week's meeting, Liberty says Mayor Joan Foster told administrators city council would unanimously support their rezoning proposal, but at Tuesday’s meeting, Foster and Kimball Payne say they have no recollection of saying that.

Then McRorie produced a DVD of a secret video recording where he says Foster makes that statement in the meeting.

Foster says she did not know the meeting was recorded. This drew a lot of criticism from councilmembers.

"To have a mayor and city manager go there in all forthrightness, being open, and go into a meeting and have it recorded?" Vice Mayor Bert Dodson, Jr. said.

"Without anyone even being notified. I mean it would be one thing to say, 'For the purposes of our records we'd like to record the meeting, just like to let you know it's being recorded,' that would be the polite thing to do," Lynchburg City Councilman Mike Gillette said.

McRorie says the recording was made because LU didn't want there to be any confusion about what was said during that meeting.

"It was an important meeting speaking with the manager and the mayor about zoning and changes and zoning and we didn't want there to be any room for misunderstanding about what anybody said," he said.

[TMI]

Did the university really think that if they secretly taped the mayor and city manager that it'd win favor for the school or put us in a better light with the community? Whatever lies the mayor may have told in that meeting are now being far overshadowed by a ridiculous secret videotaping from between a couple of books on a shelf.I mean really, is this the way we want to conduct business and present ourselves to outsiders who may already have negative attitudes towards us?

[Kolzilla41]

Where is this story listed? I can't find it anywhere.

[TMI]

Oh - here it is: http://www.wset.com/news/stories/0310/720910.html

[Kolzilla41]

Whats funny is Liberty has both the Mayor and City Manager saying yes to questions they denied hearing. Makes you wonder why they recorded the meeting.

[thepostman]

i am sure they decided to do this because they were sick of getting promises that weren't being kept..ethically its a grey area and probably something liberty shouldn't have done from a pr stand point...but lu has never really cared much about pr...hence getting rid of their university relations department a few years ago and then having johnny moore writing all the press releases, but thats another topic all together

[LUconn]

"To have a mayor and city manager go there in all forthrightness, being open, and go into a meeting and have it recorded?" Vice Mayor Bert Dodson, Jr. said.

you lied on tape. It was legal, apparently. Only problem I see is that it's a card that can only be played one time. I hope it was the right time.

Thought I will admit, our society does view this sort of thing on the shady side of the line. But whatever.

[Hold My Own]

You would think our CM would learn by now...

http://www.wset.com/news/stories/0809/646798.html


Anyways, I will admit when I first heard this I did cringe a bit and worry about the PR hit...however after thinking about it for a while I honestly dont see anything wrong with this, I see more of an issue with lying and I think this exposes some of the previous problems we've been facing. I would find it hard to believe this was the first time that the City said they would support something yet when the time came there was "trouble recollecting the previous conversations"

Yes, for all those that simply read the headlines they will walk away with a bad image of LU....but look at the facts and I think you'll see the bigger issue and that is someone lying behind closed doors.

[ATrain]

Politicians lie all the time, the only difference is that this time there is hard proof of it.

While recording without informing doesn't look good, if they would've just told the truth it would've not been an issue.

[LUconn]

I don't understand why the article is titled "Liberty Secretly Records Meeting" and not "Joan Foster Caught In Lie".

[LUnpretty11]

Because we are under a microscope. Anything and everything we do that might be a little odd or out of place will be way over played because of the microscope we're under. We are held to a higher standard than anyone else. If it would have been LC or Randolph (not that they would, cause they don't care) that did the video, then the headline would more than likely say that the Foster was caught in a lie.

[ALUmnus]

Why don't they just make it a habit to record all meetings? Or at least have someone in there taking minutes. There's nothing wrong with that.

[Rooster Cogburn]

I think the taking minutes idea would be perfect. I think the tape will cause nothing but angst and more road blocks. However I do think it will help end the cycle of the city lying to LU all the time. I am with LUconn. You've used it now, I hope this was the right situation.

[belcherboy]

I get so tired of the anti-Liberty crowd in Lynchburg. Most other cities are dying, yet Lynchburg is THRIVING. They complain about Liberty, make it hard for them to do things, yet enjoy all the financial benefits that 20,000+ students bring to their city. I don't think it was right for them to record someone is secret, especially to use it against them. But even worse is when the citizens of Lynchburg BLAST Liberty, and let the politician that lied "off the hook". Both should be ashamed, as I see both being dishonest.

Sometimes I wish Liberty had the ability to move away. I think that Lynchburg would shut down! Hopefully, one day, Lynchburg citizens will appreciate what Liberty does for them.

[4everfsu]

I have no problem with LU video taping the meeting. It also can protect LU from the standpoint of what LU said in the meeting. The Mayor and company cannot say LU ever asked that or said this instead of that.

[belcherboy]

I have no problem with LU video taping the meeting. It also can protect LU from the standpoint of what LU said in the meeting. The Mayor and company cannot say LU ever asked that or said this instead of that.

I struggle with the fact that they didn't tell them they were taping them. If they really wanted to protect themselves, Liberty could have openly said they would be recording the meeting. The mayor or city manager may not have wanted to meet under those conditions, but IMO it still doesn't justify a "secret recording" of their meeting.

[From the class of 09]

This just makes LU look bad. Whatever LU gained from proving Foster lied they lost by looking just as shady recording in secret. Dumb move by our school.

[Kolzilla41]

I guess it time for these guys to come out and play

[WinterIsComing]

I'm not a fan of City Council lying to LU nor do I like that the City keeps LU from dong a lot of the things it would like to do. But LU just pushed all in AND showed their hand pre-flop...they're essentially betting on the river card (winning the local elections) to bail them out...and if the LU students don't turn out (and many won't because they feel like they're being used, no matter how great LU's cause is), then Liberty will have a REALLY hard time getting anything done, unless they can find the votes somewhere off of Liberty Mountain. I guarantee every LU hater and everyone else who thinks LU is trying to hijack a local election simply to push through the University's own agenda is going to show up at the polls...and if it rains on election day every TRBC person of age and LU student won't be going to the polls. It's going to be hard enough to convince students that a local election in a place that is not "hometown" is just as important as a national election. The lesson is NEVER SHOW YOUR HAND, never give up your bargaining chip, and never give up the most important thing...leverage!

[FlameNForest]

This just makes LU look bad. Whatever LU gained from proving Foster lied they lost by looking just as shady recording in secret. Dumb move by our school.

This is basically my take on it too. I know why they wanted to tape the meeting. I know Foster lied. But it just makes us look bad and isn't going to win us any points with council the next time we could use their help.

[Rooster Cogburn]

It was bad on both sides but Being LU we will look 100000% worse. I've gotten beat over the head with "that wasn't very Christian" several times today. And got to WSET.com or N&A.com and read the comments. LU is dead in the court of public opinion.

[LUconn]

This just makes LU look bad. Whatever LU gained from proving Foster lied they lost by looking just as shady recording in secret. Dumb move by our school.

Whatever they gained, they lost? You don't even know what they'll gain. What if they gain the ability to do what ever they want in the future? Pretty sure that would be worth any PR hit, although obviously just hyperbole to get my point across. Who knows what will come of this. It could trigger a cleaning out of city council come election time. Worst case scenario, everybody thinks LU looks bad here and nobody cares that these folks lied. Then what? More people posting angry comments on the N&A site? Less townies attending LU? Less of them attending sporting events? More Walmart bags on the Jerry Falwell Parkway? I just don't see any reason to care about the downside, except that I'd like to see locals at football games. Probably not enough of a reason not to call the liars out and expose them.

[TMI]

Whatever they gained, they lost? You don't even know what they'll gain. What if they gain the ability to do what ever they want in the future? Pretty sure that would be worth any PR hit, although obviously just hyperbole to get my point across.

So you're basically saying the ends justifies the means?

I just don't see any reason to care about the downside....

I'd say the administration agrees with you...or else they just didn't even consider there being a downside. So it sounds to me it was either a case of arrogance or stupidity.

[TDDance234]

Tell the truth and you don't have anything to worry about.

[Hold My Own]

Again no laws were broken and I believe an underlying issue was uncovered. This is not the first time LU was lead to believe the City has a particular stance but when it came time to vote something different happened.

Something else that is possible is that Mayer Foster may not have control over her council members and has no clue where they stand (I dont believe it but its the only other option other then them lying)