Responsible Department: Clerk of the Legislature

Modified Date (s): July, 2009

Legislative Policy Statement:

Resolution No.: 09-152

I. Definitions:

Meeting—is defined as the official convening of a public body for the purpose of conducting public business.

Public body—is defined as any entity for which a quorum is required in order to conduct public business and that consists of two or more members, performing a governmental function for the County or for an agency or department thereof, or for a public corporation as defined in Section 66 of the General Construction Law, or a committee, subcommittee, or other similar body of such public body.

Executive Session—is defined as that portion of a meeting not open to the general public, as outlined in the provisions of Article 7 of the Public Officers Law.

1. All meetings of the Legislature and of all committees, standing, ad hoc or special, of the Legislature, and of all boards, committees, commissions and other groups whose members are appointed by the Legislature, shall be open to the public.

2. Executive sessions may be voted by a majority of the total membership only after the body convenes in public. While in executive session, no action by formal vote shall be taken to appropriate public moneys. Executive sessions may only be voted when the subject matter to be discussed falls under the provisions of Article 7 of the Public Officers Law.

3. Public Notice. (a) Public notice of the time and place of a meeting scheduled at least one week prior thereto shall be given to the news media and shall be conspicuously posted in one or more designated public locations at least seventy-two (72) hours before such meeting. (b) Public notice of the time and place of every other meeting shall be given, to the extent practicable, to the news media and shall be conspicuously posted in one or more designated public locations at a reasonable time prior thereto. (c) It shall be the responsibility of each committee, board, or subcommittee chair to notify the Clerk of the Legislature of meeting times, locations, and subjects. It shall be the responsibility of the Clerk of the Legislature to notify the public and the news media.

4. Minutes. (a) Minutes shall be taken at all open meetings of a public body, which shall consist of a record or summary of all motions, proposals, resolutions, and any other matter formally voted upon and the vote thereon. (b) Minutes of executive session must consist of a record or summary of the final determination of action that was taken, and the date and vote thereon. However, such summary need not include any matter not required to be made public by the Freedom of Information Law. (c) Minutes of meetings of all public bodies shall be available to the public in accordance with the provisions of the Freedom of Information law within at most two weeks from the date of such meeting except that minutes of an executive session when action was taken shall be available to the public within one week from the date of the executive session.