[Adopted 6-22-2022 by L.L. No. 8-2022]
It is the intent of this article to give members of the Town's
local public bodies, as said term is defined in Public Officers Law
§ 103-a(1), the option to participate in meetings via videoconference
as permitted by Public Officers Law § 103-a (added L. 2022,
ch. 56, pt. WW, § 2, eff. April 9, 2022).
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 other public bodies
of the Town which are subject to the New York State Open Meetings
Law, Public Officers Law, Article 7. Members of such 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 Town Board of the Town of New Castle hereby authorizes members
of the Town's public bodies to participate in meetings using
videoconferencing technology in a manner consistent with Public Officers
Law § 103-a.
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. The Town's
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.
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 chapter,
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.