NORTH ATTLEBORO - The planning board has apologized for creating "an appearance of impropriety" for conducting a closed-door session to discuss the budget in January.

At a meeting on Wednesday, Planning Board Chairman Donald Cerrone acknowledged that the board should not have gone into a closed-door session in January to discuss budget related matters.

He asked Town Planner Mary Burgess to read a statement on the board's behalf.

"The planning board would like to take the opportunity to address the alleged violation of open meeting law that The Sun Chronicle brought to our attention. The board apologizes for the appearance of impropriety that has occurred. The planning board was in no way trying to conceal anything, but on the contrary, was trying to spare a loyal employee any embarrassment regarding their job performance and stability," Burgess said.

The board voted in January to go into executive session to discuss the budget. A reporter for The Sun Chronicle at the meeting objected to the executive session, arguing that the budget is not a valid reason for private meetings under state law. The planning board went into closed session anyway, and the next day The Sun Chronicle asked the Bristol County District Attorney's Office to investigate.The planning board has now made the minutes of the January meeting public. Those minutes show the board discussed the department's latest budget figures and the hours worked by the board's clerk. No votes were taken during the closed-door session.

As part of the town's budget process for the 2009 fiscal year, department heads have been asked to make some tough decisions about where to cut their budgets. Those decisions could result in layoffs.