The Partial Observer by Patty MacLeish
League of Women Voters Observers are Shining a Light on Democracy
Held each year in mid-March, Sunshine Week is a nonpartisan collaboration among groups in the journalism, civic, education, government and private sectors. Their purpose is to shine a light on the importance of public records and open government. The League supports these efforts and in spring 2023 and after a hiatus of several decades, the LWV of the Cooperstown Area reinstated its Observer Corps. The Observer Corps are members of the League who attend local governmental meetings, note what happens at the meeting, and report back to the League Board. Observers also review other ways the entities interact with the public, such as websites and live broadcast of the meetings.
Observers help ensure that the issues facing our community are being handled in the open—“in the sunshine”—and that there is transparency, accountability, and citizen engagement that supports good government.
League observers do only that—observe and report on the process and the actions taken at a particular meeting. They do not speak at the meetings for themselves or for the League. Observers use a form developed by the League to assess each meeting. The League has two concerns: whether the public body is adhering to the Open Meetings Law and whether the entity is considering an issue that is of interest to the League. Observers also report on topics raised in the public comment session. (Interestingly, public comment sessions are not required by law.)
Finally, observers track how well these public bodies provide information to those they represent. The observers note if the governmental entity records or broadcasts meetings, if there is a website, whether the website includes copies of past minutes of committees, links to local laws, and other information the public needs.
To date, the League has observers attending meetings of the Cooperstown Central School District and the Cherry Valley-Springfield School District; the Village of Cooperstown Board of Trustees; the town boards of Cherry Valley, Middlefield, Otsego, and Hartwick; the Watershed Supervisory Committee; and the Otsego County Board.
Included below are several overall reports from our observers from some of the entities the League has been observing. More will be posted on the LWV Cooperstown website (www.LWVCooperstownArea.org).
Middlefield Town Board Meeting
The Town Board meetings start on time. The agenda is available on the website at least three days in advance. The website also includes announcements about the schedule of Town Board meetings, Zoning Board of Appeals meetings, and Planning Board meetings, as well as notices from the Highway Superintendent and Town Clerk hours. Board members and chair are engaged and collegial, and there is good discussion as issues are presented. Public comment is placed at the top of the agenda and all board members listen attentively. It’s not very common for this item on the agenda to last a long time. When it does, managing the timing and number of speakers could be improved, perhaps by appointing a timekeeper for the discussion period. Meetings are not broadcast live. They lack some equipment to do this. Acronyms are used. When executive sessions are held, the purpose is explained.
—Maureen Murray, Sandy deRosa, Christina Bourgeois, observers
Cherry Valley-Springfield School Board Meeting
The Cherry Valley-Springfield School Board meeting minutes and agendas are posted and easily accessible on the school’s website. Agendas and notifications are sent out on time, including to the Leagues observer. Meetings always begin promptly; visitors are acknowledged and there is always time on the agenda for public comment. The meetings are not streamed live. Any executive sessions are now held at the end of the meeting with an announcement regarding the focus. There are challenges at times understanding acronyms; however, the members are always willing to clarify any confusion or question. Sharing supporting data regarding current issues such as absenteeism, testing, etc. would be helpful either at the meeting and/or included in the minutes.
—Anna Gaeta, observer
Village of Cooperstown Board of Trustees
The village website includes agendas and minutes of meetings for trustee meetings. Agendas are sent within the recommended time frame and are quite complete. Since October 2023, the agendas have included all the business that will be dealt with at that meeting—invoices, letters to the board, permits, etc. Draft minutes are posted in a timely fashion. Meetings always begin promptly, and time is allowed for public comment. The meetings are broadcast live; the video is posted the next day, if not sooner. Any executive session is held at the end of the regular meeting, and the mayor announces the purpose of the session. The members use many acronyms and the nameplates that identify the members are difficult to read.
—Patty MacLeish, observer
Watershed Supervisory Committee
This group is composed of representatives from the towns of Otsego, Hartwick, Middlefield, and Springfield, as well as the Village of Cooperstown, and is concerned with all watersheds and Lake Otsego. One meeting each month focuses on septic issues, with a second meeting for the watershed concerns. Agendas are available on the Village of Cooperstown website. Meetings begin promptly, and committee members who are unable to attend in person are usually connected online.
—Bruce MacLeish, observer
NY State’s Open Meeting Law
Recent changes in New York’s Open Meeting Law have new requirements regarding websites, including the requirement that public entities serving populations above a certain size must also maintain a website. (https://opengovernment.ny.gov/). The Open Government website contains much more information on what citizens can expect at a public meeting. One place to begin to understand the law is the Open Meetings Law “Frequently Asked Questions” (https://opengovernment.ny.gov/frequently-asked-questions-0).
Patty MacLeish is communications director for the League of Women Voters of the Cooperstown Area.