HomeMy WebLinkAboutLetter of Legal Notice- Trevor J. Desane.PDF?rev r j. DeSane
10 River H.clacl Llnit tr"SG *ew York, tqY t*fi44 e tldS8,@c*rnen.edn:
fuovember X 1, p$'il1
Village *f Cayuga i-{eights
ft$areham hfall
&3S l-'l*n*h*w R**d
Ithm*p, hlY {48S*
Tu: Msv*r and Trustees *f th* Villag
I repre*ent F{axel Sramptnn,
Stein, $cof,t Teel and other individu
wh* have he*n crdv*r*ely aff*eted
fule*tingn ef the **wrd *l Truste*s
Srard mf Trr.r*te*s *n April 4, Z*11.
Thi* l*tt*r ira t* inf*rm v*u t
Aprii 4, 2011, g*v*rning the rigytt *t
**eld, and the impf*r**nt*ti** *f th
cf **yug* l-{eight*
,ri* Ft**ng, J*nr*s L*f**k, Hliz*bmth ft*st, J*nrrv
l* reeiding sutsid* ttr* Viilage *f *eyug* h{eightl
hy ihe p*licie* entitle,d "Wrivil*ga *f the Fl*or at
th* Vill*g* *t Cayuga l-*elght*," *d*pted hy the
the pnlicie* ad*pted by the **ard *f ?ructe*a *n
ei?rb*rs nf th* publir to *peak at meetings sf the
paii*i** by the ffi*ard in the p*riod *in*e th*iren*ctrnent, ar* illeg*l as in vislation the fip*n tu1e*{in6x Law *f th* $tat* *f hlew ysrk.
Th* *p*n l*eeting* L&w, a*
ctatut*riiy-ernpow{}red S*mmitt*e 6n
*epartment af $tat*, i* *l*ar, yh* p
nterpr*t*d by the **urt* of hJ*w Y*rk and by the
*pen Gcv*rnment, * Desertm*nt cf the f{ew y*rk
, whethsr a reeiden{ *f th* [r.rri*di*ti*n] .., ar cf
right t* afieild." ld. tf thc publi* **dy *hnnses ts
rpos* sf the #pen &l!**ting* Law ia t* en**"tre th*tthe people of Neur York have an ual rppnrk*nity t* atten* all r::**ti*g* of publi*
h*diee nat then in ex**utivs nessi*n,and tc pxrti*ip*t* equally in *ny rpportunity th*t isgiv*lr to sp*ak, Sgg Cau
*qun*il, glf$*wburgh, 4il'n F'i.Y.$.Zd {$up. Ct. App. Siv.}, aff'd, 3S3 hl.f;.3d 1157, All
f\,"Y.$.3d $64 {N.1'. 1S7S}. S*e *l Opinion *f the C*mmitte* on Open Gov*rnnent,
0ML-AS-S4S5; *pinion of the Comm on Open Gcv*rnment, *ML-Af-ZNVZ.
Und*r $103, *f the Open ng* L*w, "meetings af public b*die* are *pen tothe 'g*ner*t publi*."' *pinicn sf the
"As s*eh, *ny rnfrmber *f th* publ
an*th*r jurirdicti*n, {h*s} ... the sam
miti*e on *p*n G*v*rnment, #F/L-AO-3ZS$.
*finw m*mbsrs sf ths publie t*, it **n**l "b'f rule limit th* ability to sp*ak t*r**id*nts cnly," l{J" $** also #pin n of the Osrnmitte* on *p*n G*vernnlent. *MLAS-3$1S; CIpini*n *f the *nm,nnitiee
fsr this is simpfe: "[iJh*re ars ffieny
n Open G*vernment, *h*L",&S-936d.. ?h* rca**n
nstance* in whieh p**pl* *ther than residents ...have a *ignific*nt inter*st in ths a erati*n *f a nrunieipality ... .' *pininn sf th*
L-A*-3!SS, $ee *lco *pinian af th* C*mmitte*Ssmrnittse nn *p*tn S*vsrnm*nt,
*n ; *pinion of ths C*mmittee *n Spen Gsvsrnm*r:t,
puhli* ip invited ts speak.
Furthermcre, the equnl tr**t
publie, in both attendan*c and privi
*vsr n#nrssid*nts in the *rdsr cft* spee*h, ffr &ny other aepcet *f
r*quir*d t* id*ntify h*meelf ar
A0-3S18; Opinion of th* S*rnrnitt*e
the C*rxntittee nn *pen S*vsrn
imp*diment Bl*eer1 befsr* th* ahilit
rn*nner in ths pro*wedinga. Thi*
#&*L-AS- S$S" Fr:r instxn**, in Arrn
*f_frefu#,q, h.l*i#htg, dscided bv ihe
fn-e ff*urf f*und that nanresidente rth* Tr*st*ea' p*ii*l** r*g*rding
nonrssidsnts havs l*g*l ctanding
reascnabl* p*licy on ih* Frivlleg* *1t* sp**k abcut tlr*cs iseuss in n':*eti
sr eny *ih*r qualifier [is] ... in*pnsi
**nrmifiee *n 0p**n G*v*rnm*nt,
Government, SML-A O-ZT 1T .
*peak at a meetirrg of a puhlic h
fr*vernment, SfutL-A*-SESs; *pinia
tr: ep*ak *ft*r r*sidents; eann*t *
de*ign of e shnrt window cf time f*
delib*rate deuign *r * **t * &r*
rssld#nts *v*r tfia*e hy n*nr*s
lll*gitimate or *f l***er rr*lu*" "W{t
The *qu*l rigtrt *f alt *itk*ns
e*nt*nt af the *p**ch sf t|*ns* s
be given ampl* time t* xpealt, while0pi*i*n *f tho fr:ornrnittee on
ffommittse an *pen fi*vernm**t
certain subje*t &ft)s, negafiv* c*m
*pini*n pf the *srnmittee cn Op*r.l
#p*n Meetings Law, See Opininn
3405; Opinlon of the Cammittee an
the Comrnitl** *n ,OFen G*vernr*ent
typ* ar* imp*rmi*,*ibl* under hasic
A* implemented, l*cal g*v*rn
atternpt ta addrpsc the issuep nf th* d
*r unnuly. $e* Spini*n of {h* C*mm
The curr*nt ruls* rf th* B*ard
implem*nt*d, exhibit ths f*llclvring vial
nt whi*h must be affsrded ta all m*rxhsr* sf the
:ge* af *peeeh, f*rbid* tit* privifeging *f r*eidents
*king, the time s*l*tted tu apeak, the resp*ct given
particip*{inn" A *nember *f thre pr*bli* can*ct b*
It by namn *r hy residen*e in order ta attend srly. S** *pini*n *f th* *smmittee cn *p*n
of th* Crmmitt** on Cp*n G*vernrnent, Oivll-
on Open G*v*rnnlent, S&rtrL-A0-33S4; *nlnion cf]t *ML-Atr^?Vi7. ?h*re *sn**t be a deliberate*f any gr*up i* *ttend nr parii*ipste ln *n *qual
ns that th* publi* body **nn*t.frr** nonresidents
clude ncnresid*nt* frcm *peuking thr*ugh thepubli* **mrnsntc, frurR which nsnrecid**tb * bv
eluded; snd c*nnat privil*g* th* **mrnent* hy
, hy indieating that n*nresidents' corarments *re
f*rt tn dirtingui*h em*ng *ttend*es by r*sid*nee
nt with th* f#pen Me*tings] law." Spinicn cf the
L-&"*-4141; *pinion rf ihe *smmitta* *n *pen
ta addre** m publi* bsdy *xtends, fusth*r, t* ther$, $p*akers wh* exprees fevored views csnn*t
wh* *xprese disfavsred visws are nat. $**
Gcvernm*nt, OML-A0-3834; Spinion *f the
L-A*-33S*. "filf e*mrn*ntary is p*rmitt*d wifrin *
entary in the sarre a{en c&nfi*t be nrohibited."
nvernrn*nt, OML-40-4S44. $ee alsa *pinion of
OML-A*-33S3. C*ntent-based ex*lilsion* of thi*
irst An:*ndm*nt prin*ipl**, es w*lf as und*r theth* *ommittee un #pen Ssvernnrent, OM[_-AO-
Gcv*ru'r ment, fi fid L-A*-*X*3.
t bodie* xr* permitted t* cut *ff *p*a,k*r* wh*
y only if th*y ar* pr*fane, thre*tening, bai*t*rsu$,
3e *n Sp*n **vernment, OML-Afi-3193.
cf Trustees *f *ay*ge Heights, as writtsn and ss
ti*ns:
1,
x.s
r*Eilire fh*t "[u]pr:n arriva$,', ,,a*i winE .*f re$.idBtrgg. Th*** ru*e* and potici**
*peak and wheth*r th*y r**ide in
treatnr*nt and n*ru-**mBeltred id*requirements of the *p*n ftit*etinga Law.
wiih
be called to *peak in th* *r*ei
op**k for ths hakxnee sf the tinre
of the *ivil Fra*ti*e [_aw and Ru
Governm*nt, *hlll..4#-g*94.
3$-minuts wi*d*vu f*r pubti* partici
the privil*gc *f *peaking befar* nnn
for publie csmrnent, whi*h d!*pr*pa
&dast recently, at the S*t*her m**tiw*r* blscked frprn *peaking by
*bruptly sif*n*ed by Tru*t*e $teph
r*adi*g a pr*pered *tat*ment, nct
ended. I trust that, upcn reeeipt *f tf
r*medy fsr thos* wh* *re nggriev*d I
ndse* [mu*t] ... *ign in, indicst]ng if they wish tnl*yug* Heighte"" Thi* is a vialaticn *f ih* ec*al
sse.rules and pcliciee state that "fa]ttendeesw;ll
sn the *igl"l in sheet. F{cnresidents bre invited to
maining after r**idsnts h*ve finiehed." The short*ti*n *rcatas a *itu*tipr: in whirh resldents, given
idente, m€y u$* up ma*t on ail *f th* tirne nllittedn*t*ly *ffe*t* n*nl"esid*nts wh* wish tn sp*ak.sf the S*ard rf ?l'u*tee*, $*v*r*! nonre*idents
ted by ths** crndu*ting thr rneeting, on at
nte **n he terminafed *n th* basis *f th*ir
;t *, 2011 rN*etir"lg *f the B*ard *f Trustec$, &nienc* behind th* Bcxrd'$ dasr killing plan was
ray thre*teni*g t* flnysns. The sil*nsing nf thispf the content-nsxtr*l r*quir*mente t*r a pr_rhlie
this pclicy" Th* prlcritizing pf rssi*ent* *ver*onr**id*nts, and d*li*er*t* ntructu af dis*dvantage t* ncylr*si$*nt*, *re viclati*n.**f the *qual treatm*nt *R* nen
ft,4e*ting* Law.
ll*d id*ntific*ti*n reguir*nrrent* nf the fipen
Th*s* rl*l*s snd p*lirie* stste that"[s]p**ker* ".. tr:*y b* *sked ts tsrm nate rer*srks *t any time hy th* Mayur nr sn*therpre*iding *ffic#r." Thie hs* bes* i
le*st sne o*ca*i*n, ts ffie*n that
**r:t*nt, *n the merit*. At the AL
indivldual whs wst* critical *f th*
w*s th* sp**ker'* *omrngnt in *nv
cpe*k*r'* **mment w&s s vi*lati*n
forum sf this gp*, *e establish*d hv
the CIpen Meeting* l_aw.
r h*amiltsn, with nn explanati*n. She wes *almlv
i*ing her v*i*e, *nd n*f using fcul language, nnr
This letter f*rm*Xly reqx**t*
e*mply with ttrc requir*mente cf ths
Firs? AffiBn*ment nt the U.$. Constitxticn and
that th*ee pcti*iea and pra*ti*es, which fail tc
f\de*tings Law and the Fir*t Amendment. b*
s n*ti** *f legal vialsti*n, they will be. if nst, the
the filing of a judicial proceeding under Article Zg$ee *pinirn af ths Ccmmittee *n Open
$innercly
Trev*r J. *e$an*, Attorney at Law