Legislature works to function in new way
When the Ulster County Legislature meets in April, it likely will do so via video or phone as lawmakers work to both protect themselves and conduct the business of government.
Legislature Chairman Dave Donaldson said the body’s April meeting will be pushed back at least a week to allow members time to set up a communication system and give the administration the flexibility it needs to prepare for the meeting while dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.
“The work that is done by department heads and staff throughout the county to prepare contracts and resolution information in line with legislative deadlines is a big job,” Donaldson, D-Kingston, said in a prepared statement. “It is the least we can do to give them a little extra time while they figure out how to balance their regular job responsibilities with managing this crisis.
“Basically, we’re just moving things around a bit to give everyone a second to take a deep breath, get refocused, continue working and, most importantly, do it in a way that helps keep county employees, their families and Ulster County residents safe and healthy during this difficult time,” Donaldson said.
The chairman said the Legislature’s standing committees hope to meet beginning the week of April 13 and that the regular monthly meeting of the Legislature will be April 28.
On March 13, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued an executive order exempting municipal and school boards from provisions of the state Open Meetings Law that require public access to locations where meetings are conducted. The waiver allows elected and appointed boards to conduct meetings by phone but requires that the “public has the ability to view or listen to such proceedings and that such meetings are recorded and later transcribed.”
Details about how the Ulster County Legislature’s meetings would be held remotely or how the public would be able to access them was not immediately available.