Can our town supervisor chair a meeting remotely?
Can our town supervisor chair meetings remotely? QUESTION In October our town supervisor was connected in via a laptop and chaired a meeting. No one in the public could do that, they could just view it on Facebook. This month, he was not present. He may have been viewing, but did not participate. There was discussion […]
Mid Hudson News: Town board violated law; ordered to pay legal fees
Mid Hudson News: Town board violated Open Meeting Laws; ordered to pay legal fees’ Dutchess County Supreme Court Justice Maria Rosa has ruled that the Wappinger Town Board violated the Open Meetings Law when the members chose to debate the merits of a resolution in executive session rather than discuss them in a meeting open […]
Access to public records is ‘deteriorating terribly’
Access to public records is ‘deteriorating terribly’ This is an interesting article regarding issues occurring with Freedom of Information Laws across the country. “At a time when 4 in 10 Americans say they don’t trust the government of the state in which they live to handle problems well, according to a mid-October Gallup poll, keeping public […]
Sheriff’s Office closes Raymond School open meeting investigation
Wisconsin: Sheriff’s Office closes Raymond School open meeting investigation There are several interesting items in the article below regarding a school board in Wisconsin. – The District Attorney’s Office referred an open meetings complaint to the Sheriff for investigation. Can’t recall seeing any DA or Sheriff getting involved in an open meetings complaint in NY. – A […]
You have the right to record a public meeting
You have the right to record a public meeting You have the right to record a public meeting. This right has been part of the Open Meetings Law since 2011. Someone recording a public meeting should not make an elected official angry yet it happens. The latest example is the supervisor of the town of Colton getting […]
Cortland Memo of Law
Courtland Memo of Law An interesting open meetings lawsuit has been filed in Cortland County Supreme Court. The memorandum of law filed in the lawsuit lays out some interesting drama in the town of Cortlandville, (population 8,000). Apparently the town attorney John Delvecchio had a private legal matter before town court judge Mary Beth Mathey. Judge Mathey […]
Can I record my town council meeting?
Can I record a Town Council Meeting? QUESTION I am a council member of the Town of (withheld). At a budget hearing last night, the town supervisor very aggressively attempted to prevent me from recording the hearing, saying such recording was illegal. I have attached the exchange between myself and the supervisor. I have contacted […]
Executive Session Training
Executive Meeting Training Session The president of the New York Coalition for Open Government, Paul Wolf Esq., leads an education session on how to properly conduct executive sessions that conform with New York State Open Meetings Laws. Duration: 40min https://youtu.be/xftmDCUXFuM The Author Paul is the founder of the NY Coalition For Open Government and has truly […]
State Law Bashed Over Public Comment
State Law Bashed Over Public Comment The Post Journal in Jamestown wrote about our most recent report regarding public comments at meetings. 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 […]
Buffalo’s stonewalling city government – Investigative Post
Buffalo’s stonewalling city government “The Freedom of Information Law is an important law that is not difficult to follow,” he said. “Yet time after time the City of Buffalo has not complied with the law.” Paul Wolf, President of the New York Coalition For Open Government. The Author Paul is the founder of the NY […]
