Clerk's Office Prepares for Open Meetings Law

Anyone interested in local government can now expect a more detailed overview of agendas before Town Board and other public meetings to be posted on the town's website.

Town Clerk Jackie Greer announced this week that interested parties will now be able to view more background and records that pertain to issues up for discussion before meetings. The change comes after an addition to that went to affect on Feb. 2. According to the law, municipal bodies that maintain a regularly updated website are required to post the information online in advance of public meetings.

The idea is that the new requirement will increase transparency by giving people the opportunity to review back-up materials and records before meetings take place.

"This change to the law requires that within reason all back-up materials should be posted on our town website along with the agenda," Greer said in a statement. "It is important to stress that the amendment involves an effort to take advantage of today's information technology, to promote transparency and citizen's participation in government, and to reduce waste."

There will be limitations to the materials that will be published Greer said, including legal advice and litigation, interdepartmental correspondence, some personnel matters and the labor contract negotiation progress. Most information that can be obtained in Freedom of Information Requests, however, will now be posted on the website.

Greer said she believes posting the information online could actually save town resources. In the past, the town clerk has had the responsibility of creating 18 different meeting packets that were distributed to different town entities. Moving forward, the clerk's office will only need to produce five packets, as all information will be posted online.

Residents submitting information for discussion will now need to e-mail their materials to agenda@Harrison-ny.gov. That information will be posted on the town website the Friday before a scheduled public meeting.

Anyone who needs assistance sending their records electronically can visit the town clerk's office, Greer said.

"(I'm) very excited about implementing this new process," Greer said in a statement. "It will save time, materials, labor and it will help create a greener tint to our operations."