Open Meeting Policy

Public Meetings

In accordance with Article 7 of New York State’s Public Officer’s Law, as well as Education Law Title 1, Article 5, Section 260a, the Little Falls Public Library’s Board of Trustee meetings shall be open to the general public. Executive sessions may be called as a portion of the open meeting and appropriate business transacted in accordance with Article 7, Section 105 of Public Officers Law.

Minutes of an open meeting will consist of a record or summary of all motions, proposals,resolutions, remote attendance, and any matter formally voted upon and the vote thereon. Minutes of a public meeting will be posted to the System’s website and otherwise made available one month following the date of the meeting.

Meetings shall be held each month at least 10 months per year, the date and hour to be set by the Board. Regular board meetings are currently scheduled for the second Tuesday of each month at the Little Falls Public Library in Little Falls, NY beginning at 3:30 pm. Notice of the time and place of each meeting is given to the public and news media at least one week in advance of the meeting via the Library’s Website and posted in a public place within the Library. In addition, working sessions of the board (even if they are not formal meetings) must be advertised and open if a quorum of the board is expected to attend. 

Remote Attendance

On April 9, 2022, Governor Hochul signed Chapter 56 of the Laws of 2022 relating to the New York State budget for the 2022-2023 state fiscal year. Included in the bill is an amendment to the Open Meetings Law (OML) to make permanent (until July 1, 2024) the expanded use of videoconferencing by public bodies to conduct open meetings, under extraordinary circumstances, regardless of a declaration of emergency.

In the event that a board meeting is held remotely, members of the public will be provided access information, which will be available one week in advance on the library’s website under the Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes. Those that attend virtually from the public will be included in the meeting minutes as public members who participated in the meeting. All documents being shared at the meeting will be shared with those members of the public attending virtually and all attendees will be given an opportunity to speak during the public comments section of the meeting.

Consistent with the Library’s mission to serve its community, the trustees’ use of videoconferencing shall utilize technology to permit access by members of the public with disabilities consistent with the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Public Comment

The Little Falls Public Library Board of Trustees welcomes public comment at meetings governed by Open Meetings Law. The purpose of this section is to ensure that interested parties representing various points of view are allowed time to present their views while permitting the Board to conduct their meeting in an efficient and effective manner.

Any person shall be permitted an opportunity to address the Little Falls Public Library Board under the following guidelines:

• Public comments are permitted during the time designated on the library board agenda, unless otherwise directed by the Board President.

• At the beginning of the Public Comments segment of the meeting, the Board President or designee will ask if anyone wishes to address the Board and will determine the order in which speakers will be recognized.

• Each speaker will be asked to provide their name and group affiliation (if any).

• Each speaker will be allowed a maximum of three minutes to address the Board; the Board President or presiding officer will monitor time limits for each speaker. There will be no more than 15 minutes for public comment, except with consent of the Board.

• Comments shall relate to legitimate Little Falls Public Library Board of Trustees business.

• All comments shall be made with civility and respect. The Board President or presiding officer may prohibit further comment if proper decorum is not displayed.

• The Board is not required to provide an immediate response or take action on any speaker comments. The public comment period is not a question and answer period and the Board is therefore not obligated to respond to comments.

• Minutes of public meetings are a summary of discussion on all matters proposed, deliberated or decided by the Board, thus, public comments and written materials submitted by the public may not be reflected in the minutes.

Public Recording, Photographing, Broadcasting, and Webcasting

The Little Falls Public Library recognizes the requirement of the NY State Open Meetings Law to allow the public to photograph, broadcast, and webcast its open public meetings. Section 103(2) of the Open Meetings Law allows public bodies to adopt rules about the location of equipment and personnel used to photograph, broadcast, webcast or otherwise record a public meeting. 

Also, per Section 103(2) of the Open Meetings Law, these rules shall be posted at the location of each meeting. These rules will also be included on our website for each meeting so the public attending can have notice of and abide by such rules.

Adopted Rules for the Public Recording, Photographing, Broadcasting, or Webcasting of a Meeting:

1. No extension cords or other potential tripping hazards may be set up;

2. No flash photography or additional lighting may be used;

3. No recording instrument shall be closer than four feet of a meeting participant, without that person’s express consent;

4. All equipment should be silent enough to not cause a disruption;

5. Equipment must not block aisles or exits and may not impede the view of other attendees;

6. Equipment must be maintained, monitored, and attended at all times by the owner of said equipment;

7. The Little Falls Public Library is not responsible for damaged, lost, or malfunctioning

equipment; and

8. The “Guest” WiFi network may be used by the public attending meetings;

The privilege to record in this manner at the Library is limited to open meetings of the board. When enforcing this rule with regards to the manner of recording, the board of trustees shall ensure that the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, and Article I, Section 8 of the New York constitution is honored.

Approved by the Library Board of Trustees, May 12, 2026