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Deputy clerk presents local law allowing limited remote voting under extraordinary circumstances
Summary
Deputy Clerk Samantha Costello presented a draft local law to permit council members to participate and vote remotely in extraordinary circumstances under the NYS Open Meetings Law; staff emphasized the requirement of a physical quorum, public-participation safeguards, and recommended adopting the state's model language while developing internal policy rules.
Deputy Clerk Samantha Costello presented RL26‑148, a proposed local law to authorize extraordinary‑circumstances video‑conference voting by council members consistent with the New York State Open Meetings Law.
Costello said the city must opt into the statutory option and that other municipalities (including Albany and Troy) have adopted similar rules. She stressed that the change would still require a physical quorum of members and that the public must retain the ability to participate. "There does need to be a public hearing about this," she said, and recommended adopting the state's model language and then crafting an internal policy to define how the council president would determine whether an extenuating circumstance qualifies.
Council members generally expressed support for the concept while reserving internal-policy questions, and staff said IT has been consulted about meeting‑technology needs based on successful past remote participation during the pandemic. The item will proceed to the public‑hearing stage and further policy discussions before potential adoption.
