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Hubbard promises a new age of transparency. We’ve got a few suggestions for his to-do list.

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Editorial | Hubbard promises a new age of transparency. We’ve got a few suggestions for his to-do ...
Supervisor Tim Hubbard has promised a town government that will reach “a level of transparency…that has not been seen before.” Here’s why that’s important and what he should do to make this ...
Recently Tim Hubbard as the new supervisor for the town of Riverhead in Long Island announced his commitment to transparency. Riverhead Local, the towns newspaper made some good suggestions for the supervisor. Below are some highlights.
– All committee meetings should be open to the public, whether or not the State Open Meetings Law requires it.
– Hold so-called pre-submission conferences, where two Town Board members, together with upper-level staff, meet with developers to discuss proposals before they formally submit applications public.
– The town’s Code Revision Committee’s meetings must also be opened to the public.
– Require all appointed boards, committees and advisory groups to prepare meeting agendas to be posted on the town’s website at least 72 hours before all meetings. The agendas should be accompanied online by documents and resolutions to be discussed and/or acted on at the meeting.
– All site plan and special permit applications filed with the planning department and/or Town Board or town clerk should be listed on the Town Board’s regular meeting agendas. This was a practice followed for many years, but it has fallen by the wayside.

The Author

Paul is the founder of the NY Coalition For Open Government and has truly loved seeing it become what it is today and is excited about its future growth.

As an attorney for 32 years, he is a partner in the law firm of Berzer & Wolf. Prior to his private law practice, Paul served in several government positions with the Buffalo Common Council, Buffalo Housing Authority, and Erie County.

When he is not practicing law and doing open government stuff, Paul enjoys spending time with his spouse, Cheryl, and his three children, Michael, Joseph, and Julia. Paul resides in Amherst, NY, a suburb of Buffalo.

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