[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Bedford
as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 6-7-2022 by L.L. No. 8-2022]
It is the intent of this article to give members of the Town’s
local public bodies, as such term is defined in Public Officers Law
§103-a(1), the authority to participate in meetings via videoconference
in a manner consistent with the Town’s videoconferencing policy
and the authority granted in Public Officers Law § 103-a.
This article is adopted pursuant to Public Officers Law §
103-a which expressly permits the Town Board to adopt a local law
to authorize the use of videoconferencing for itself and all committees
and subcommittees of the Town which are subject to the New York State
Open Meetings Law, Public Officers Law, Article 7. Members of such
local public bodies may participate in meetings via videoconference
from locations not accessible to the public so long as a quorum of
the public body participates from locations where the public may be
physically present and all conditions set forth in Public Officers
Law § 103-a are met.
The Board of Trustees of the Town of Bedford hereby authorizes
members of the Town's local public bodies subject to the requirements
of the Public Officers Law to participate in meetings using videoconferencing
technology in a manner consistent with Public Officers Law §
103-a and the Town's videoconferencing policy adopted by the Board
of Trustees.
The provisions of this article and Public Officers Law §
103-a do not limit the existing authority set forth in the Public
Officers Law which allows all public bodies to virtually connect multiple
public locations from which members and the public may attend. Public
bodies may continue to hold proper open meetings by videoconference
from multiple physical locations which are identified in the meeting
notice, open to the public and connected virtually together by videoconference.
The provisions of this article expand further the authority of the
Town Board and other Board and Commission members to participate in
a meeting using videoconferencing technology under limited circumstances
when the member's location is not open to in-person public attendance.
If any clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, section, or
part of this article or the application thereof to any person, individual,
corporation, firm, partnership, entity, or circumstance shall be adjudged
by any court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid or unconstitutional,
such order or judgment shall not affect, impair, or invalidate the
remainder thereof, but shall be confined in its operation to the clause,
sentence, paragraph, subdivision, section, or part of this article,
or in its application to the person, individual, corporation, firm,
partnership, entity, or circumstance directly involved in the controversy
in which such order or judgment shall be rendered.
This article shall take effect immediately upon filing with
the Office of the Secretary of State of the State of New York.
