Rockland County, NY Open Government

As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:

For the purposes of this article, any public body of the County government, as defined by New York State Open Meetings Law [NYS Public Officers Law § 102(2)], regardless of whether such body is described to as a "board," "commission," "committee," or otherwise in the public body's enabling legislation.

The County Legislature, its committees and subcommittees and all County boards, and their committees and subcommittees are subject to the Open Meeting Provisions of NYS Public Officers Law Article 7.

(1)

All meetings of the County Legislature, it committees and subcommittees, or by any County board, or that board's committees or subcommittees, conducted by videoconference must comply with the requirements set forth by NYS Public Officers Law § 103-a(2)(c)-(i), (3), and (5).

With respect to the County Legislature:

(1)

This article constitutes the local law authorization required by NYS Public Officers Law § 103-1(2)(a) for the County Legislature to meet using videoconference; and

(2)

The Legislature authorizes its members to attend without being physically present when a member is subject to extraordinary circumstances as defined in NYS Public Officers Law § 103-a(c), and as the Legislature may expand or restrict such circumstances or the procedures for requesting such attendance, which may be described in a resolution of the Legislature; and

(3)

This authorization also applies to all committees and subcommittees of the County Legislature.

With respect to other boards of the County, other than the County Legislature:

(1)

Prior to engaging in videoconferenced meetings, each County board must adopt a resolution of that board which memorializes its own videoconferencing rules and procedures, which rules and procedures must be in a form that complies with the requirements of NYS Public Officers Law § 103-a and is approved by the County Attorney.