Steuben County committee moves to executive session for 209 investigation update

The Steuben County 209 Investigation Committee convened Feb. 12 in Bath and voted unanimously to enter an executive session so retained counsel could brief the panel on the ongoing 209 investigation. Chair Brian Schu called the meeting to order at 1:03 p.m. and said the purpose "is to receive an update on the 209 investigation from our retained counsel, James O’Connor, Esq., which involves the employment history of specific individuals."

Committee member Frederick Potter made the motion "to adjourn into executive session pursuant to Public Officers Law, Article 7 §105.1.f. the medical, financial, credit or employment history of a particular person or corporation," which Wendy Lozo seconded. The minutes record the motion as carrying 3-0. The document does not record public details of the counsel briefing or any substantive discussion in open session following the executive session.

The committee later recorded a motion by Lozo, seconded by Potter, to adjourn the executive session and reconvene in regular session; that motion also carried 3-0. The meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn, again carried 3-0, and the minutes were submitted by Brenda K. Scotchmer, Clerk of the Legislature. The publicly posted minutes do not include the content of the executive session briefing, consistent with the cited statutory exemption for personnel and employment-history matters.