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"Beatrice Szekely'' <beatrice@twcny. rr.com>
Re: Minutes
April 18, 2O09 12:47:48 PM EDT
"Norma Manning" <NManning@cayuga-heights.ny.us>, "VCH-Trustees" <VCH-Trustees@cayuga-heights.ny.us>
"Randall B. Marcus" <randy@bgdmlaw.com>, "Kristin Girtenberger" <KGutenberger@bgdnnlaw.com>, "Beatrice Szekely"
<Beatrice @twcny. rr.com>
Dear Norma
cc: Jim Gilmore, Trustees, Randy Marcus and Kristin Gutenberger
Thanks very much for talking with me yesterday about your Board meeting mindtes; let me begin by re-stating my respect for your position as Village Clerk with responsibility
for taking them. And thank you for the copy of the NYCOM "Legal Requiremenis and Best Practices for Taking Minutes" from a September 2007 training school which I've found
very helpful.
Reviewing the NYCOM Handbook for Village Officials (page 9) along with your fpril 14 comments below, the only requirements of minutes, other than the tormalities of attendance
and call to order, are "a summary of all motions, proposals, resolutions, and airy other mafters voted upon, and the actual votes." (bolding is mine) In other words, you do not
need to include who said what in any discussion leading to votes, unless "a majority of the the Eoard resolves" to have you do so (page 6). I didn't ask you yesterday if a. prior
VOCH Board has asked you by resoiution to provide a iecord of discussions in lhe minuies. ls that the case? The checklist on page 18 of the 2007 training school material notes
ihat for all votes taken you only need rccord a sufficient description of the mattdr on which a vote is taken.
Such summary minutes are an option that would leave each trustee the opportrjnity to take his/her own notes on what was said by whom in discussion. Were we to
have recordings of the entire proceedings of the meetings for reference, they c{uld provide the verbatim documentation for'who said what when.'
This seems to me a simple solution to the problem of various members of the Qoard having difforent interprelations of the proceedings and, iherefore, of what should be in lhe
minutes'|tismyunderstandingtodatethatmaintainingtheprac1iceofyourtakingfu|lminutesofdiscussionslegal|yrequires
consuming and, in my opinion, not a good use of Board time.
with appreciation,
Bea
'18 ADril 2009
----- Original Message -----
From: Ngqns_lvlg4g1gg
To: WH.Jr@cs
cc: Ba-ndall--B--&rcgg ; Kristin Gutenberger
Sent: Tuesday, April 14, 2009 6:02 PM
Subject Minutes
Dear Trustees - With the start of a new fiscal year for the Village
number of comments about the 3 sets of minutes and think it
I with new board members now having attended their first meetings, I have
be helpful for me to articulate my feelings about the minutes.
had a
always your words, nor should they be.
They are not intended, nor are they required to be, word for documentation of what was said' Quoting
Nor should the
minutes include a reference to each comment during the meeting. However, the public body may
requfue that an audio or video tape be made of its meetings to insure accufacy and to resolve any disputes.
Furthermore, the public body may, by a majorlity vote of its mernbership, requfue that a specific statement,
text of a resolution or agreement, etc., be included verbatim in the minutes.
There is no State statutory requirement that thp municipal clerk record the remarks of an
during an open meeting or an executive sessi$n merely because the speaker so requests.
resolution or board directive requiring the to include more information in the minutes. a trustee or
council member may not cannot require the
detailed information. Boards and councils
to correct cr amend the minutes to include any more
in expanding the scope of what is included in the
minutes should amend their rules of to outline the clerk's additional responsibilities."
These minutes took a good deal of time for me to write, and are
discussions and the correct wording of resolutions. My words are
I am sure all of you are able to write your own minutes which
To that end, i am hoping you understand and honor my request
submitted to me.
Many thanks,
Norma
on my memory and my written notes,
individual made
Without a
sound different from mine. yet the content would end up being the same'
only feedback that entails a gElAoEjE-change in content, not in style, be
I always sffive to put down the content of
They are my minutes.
NYCOM,