New Hartford, N.Y., Closes Storm Water Meetings to Public

Officials and residents in New Hartford, N.Y., are questioning their town board's compliance with the state Open Meetings Law after the board voted to shut the public out of New Hartford's new storm water advisory group discussions.

The town board voted 3-2 last Wednesday to close storm water meetings to the public. Members of the group Concerned Citizens for Honest & Open Government had written at length about the meetings online.

Those in favor of making the storm water meetings private affairs argue that the advisory group does not need to open meetings because only two of five town board members--not a majority--sit on the group, according to town board member Robert Payne. Payne said that the storm water group does a great deal of brainstorming and that the public might misinterpret information and disseminate incorrect information.

"Storm water is very sensitive to people," Payne said. "It affects people's lives and their property, so you want to make sure the information being conveyed is accurate." He also added that online criticism of the board's discussions can have a negative effect on citizen participation on such committees. "People do not want to be scrutinized on other Web sites with their conversations," he said. "We want to encourage people to step up and become part of committee meetings, part of committees."

Those New Hartford residents and officials in favor of keeping meetings open to the public argue that citizens should have a say in how their tax dollars are spent.

"People do have drainage problems, and we really need their input," said town board member Rich Woodland. "If we don't have their input, we're not going to know where the issues are."

Cathy Lawrence of the citizens' group argued that because the town board formed the storm water group, it should be treated as any other public body subject to Open Meetings Law. "We feel that the board resolution was directed at keeping our group out and preventing us from either reporting the events at the meetings and/or advertising that they are open to the public," Lawrence said.

New Hartford's 11-member storm water advisory group began assessing the town's drainage issues and presenting possible projects after voters approved a $2 million storm water management bond last spring. Until last week's town board meeting, the group's discussions were open to the public.

The state Open Meetings Law, according to the state Committee on Open Government's Web site, says: "When a public body, such as a town council or board of education, meets to discuss public business, the meeting must be open to the public--even if there is no intent to take action."

The Committee on Open Government's executive director, Robert Freeman, could not be reached for comment. Town supervisor Earle Reed, who voted to close the meetings, said, "We do have a whole bunch of citizens on [the board], and they're providing a lot of input."

Woodland said the advisory group should keep the meetings open and comply with state law. He said he plans to continue the discussion with fellow town board members.

Source: The Observer-Dispatch