WHEREAS, on April 9, 2022, Governor Hochul signed Chapter 56 of the Laws of 2022 which creates Section 103-a of the New York State Open Meetings Law 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; and

WHEREAS, under the legislation for sixty days after the effective date of Chapter 56 (accordingly through June 8, 2022), public bodies are authorized to meet and take such action authorized by law without permitting in public-in-person access to meetings and authorize such meetings to be held remotely by conference call or similar service, provided that the public has the ability to view or listen to such proceeding and that such meetings are recorded and later transcribed; and

WHEREAS, the Village of Pleasantville Board of Trustees desires to adopt a local law to authorize members of the Village’s local public bodies to participate in meetings via videoconference in a manner consistent with the authority granted in Public Officers Law § 103-a; and 

WHEREAS, Introductory Local Law 4 of 2022 was proposed on May 9, 2022, and a Public Hearing was held and closed on Monday May 23, 2022,  

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees of the Village of Pleasantville hereby adopts Introductory Local Law 4 of 2022 to allow members of all public bodies of the Village of Pleasantville to participate in meetings via videoconference, which is to become Local Law 3 of 2022 upon its passage,

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees hereby adopts the conference policy attached hereto.