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Policy committee moves to revise public-comment rules, seeks accessible accommodations
Summary
The Newburgh policy committee reviewed revisions to Policy 1230 governing public comment, flagging a residency verification issue and legal limits on remote-only exceptions for people with disabilities; staff will add accommodation language and bring a revised policy for first reading July 1.
Deputy Superintendent Onyx Peterson told the policy committee on June 23 that staff and legal counsel reviewed Policy 1230, which governs public speaking at board meetings, and offered several changes to improve clarity and accessibility. "The current board has a residency requirement that surrounds public speaking," Peterson said, noting this could create instant verification problems and legal risk.
Committee member Ms. May said she had sought guidance from the New York State Committee on Open Government about whether the board could allow remote public comment only for people with verifiable disabilities. "It's inconsistent with the open meetings law," she said, quoting counsel, "if the board wants to accept public comment remotely by a particular class, it has to accept it for everybody." That guidance led the committee to avoid a carve-out that would permit remote-only comments for some speakers.
Board member Mr. Brooks proposed a narrower approach to improve accessibility without creating a category-based remote exception: allow the board clerk or staff to assist in preparing a written comment for an individual with a verified disability, provided there is advance notice. "The clerk could help them," Brooks said, and staff confirmed such assistance would require prior notification so the clerk could prepare and present the statement at the meeting.
Staff presented draft language committing the district to "providing reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities" and directing requests for accommodation to the Board of Education clerk no later than 48 hours before a meeting. The district contact address (124 Grand Street) and options for submitting written comments were noted.
The committee directed staff to add a persistent email contact and the accommodation paragraph, and Onyx Peterson said the small revisions would be placed on the July 1 agenda for a first reading; a clean copy will follow.
