The Jamaica Plain Gazette shows everybody how it's done: Their investigation has found that citizens advisory committees (CAC), which review real estate developments, are formed by the mayor's office and the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) with "no standard rules, structures or operating procedures."

More here:In recent years, some CACs in JP and other neighborhoods have caused repeated controversies by kicking out reporters or other members of the public, holding secret meetings or attempting to limit reporting about the meetings, sometimes with the vocal encouragement of BRA officials.

A BRA official tried to declare an entire meeting of a Mission Hill CAC “off the record” last February. That CAC has a long history of unpublicized and early-morning meetings that cut off public access, though it has become more open following Gazette coverage.