January 21, 1997

 

 

 

Mr. Gary L. Rhodes
P.O. Box 220
Belleville, NY 13611

The staff of the Committee on Open Government is authorized to issue advisory opinions. The ensuing staff advisory opinion is based solely upon the information presented in your correspondence.

Dear Mr. Rhodes:

I have received your letter of December 18 in which you requested an advisory opinion concerning certain actions of the Town of Henderson.

By way of background, you wrote that the Association Island, which is located in the Town, is the possible site for "an RV park", and that there is substantial opposition to the proposal. Due to its controversial nature, even though no litigation has yet been commenced, the minutes of a recent meeting of the Town Board referred to a recommendation by the Town Attorney "that all meetings regarding Association Island be done in executive session."

From my perspective, the statement, as the minutes reflect it, is inconsistent with law. As a general matter, the Open Meetings Law is based on a presumption of openness. Stated differently, the Law requires that meetings of public bodies be conducted in public, except to the extent that a closed or executive session may properly be held. Paragraphs (a) through (h) of §105(1) of the Law specify and limit the subjects that may be considered in an executive session, and it is clear in my view that those provisions are generally intended to enable public bodies to exclude the public from their meetings only to the extent that public discussion would result in some sort of harm, perhaps to an individual in terms of the protection of his or her privacy, or to a government in terms of its ability to perform its duties in the best interests of the public.

The provision pertaining to litigation, §105(1)(d), permits a public body to enter into executive session to discuss "proposed, pending or current litigation." While the courts have not sought to define the distinction between "proposed" and "pending" or between "pending" and "current" litigation, they have provided direction concerning the scope of the exception in a manner consistent with the description of the general intent of the grounds for entry into executive session suggested in my remarks in the preceding paragraph, i.e., that they are intended to enable public bodies to avoid some sort of identifiable harm. For instance, it has been determined that the mere possibility, threat or fear of litigation would be insufficient to conduct an executive session. Specifically, it was held that:

"The purpose of paragraph d is 'to enable a public body to discuss pending litigation privately, without baring its strategy to its adversary through mandatory public meetings' (Matter of Concerned Citizens to Review Jefferson Val. Mall v. Town Bd. Of Town of Yorktown, 83 AD 2d 612, 613, 441 NYS 2d 292). The belief of the town's attorney that a decision adverse to petitioner 'would almost certainly lead to litigation' does not justify the conducting of this public business in an executive session. To accept this argument would be to accept the view that any public body could bar the public from its meetings simply be expressing the fear that litigation may result from actions taken therein. Such a view would be contrary to both the letter and the spirit of the exception" [Weatherwax v. Town of Stony Point, 97 AD 2d 840, 841 (1983)].

Based upon the foregoing, I believe that the exception is intended to permit a public body to discuss its litigation strategy behind closed doors, rather than issues that might eventually result in litigation. Again, §105(1)(d) would not permit a public body to conduct an executive session due to a possibility or fear of litigation. As the court in Weatherwax suggested, if the possibility or fear of litigation served as a valid basis for entry into executive session, there could be little that remains to be discussed in public, and the intent of the Open Meetings Law would be thwarted.

In the instant situation, in my view, only to the extent that the Board discusses its litigation strategy would an executive session be properly held.

I note, too, that the courts have provided direction with respect to the sufficiency of a motion to discuss litigation, it has been held that:

"It is insufficient to merely regurgitate the statutory language; to wit, 'discussions regarding proposed, pending or current litigation'. This boilerplate recitation does not comply with the intent of the statute. To validly convene an executive session for discussion of proposed, pending or current litigation, the public body must identify with particularity the pending, proposed or current litigation to be discussed during the executive session" [Daily Gazette Co. , Inc. v. Town Board, Town of Cobleskill, 44 NYS 2d 44, 46 (1981), emphasis added by court].

Further, in a recent decision rendered by the Appellate Division, Third Department, one of the issues involved the adequacy of a motion to conduct an executive session to discuss what was characterized as "a personnel issue", and it was held that:

"...the public body must identify the subject matter to be discussed (see, Public Officers Law § 105 [1], and it is apparent that this must be accomplished with some degree of particularity, i.e., merely reciting the statutory language is insufficient (see, Daily Gazette Co. v Town Bd., Town of Cobleskill, 111 Misc 2d 303, 304-305). Additionally, the topics discussed during the executive session must remain within the exceptions enumerated in the statute (see generally, Matter of Plattsburgh Publ. Co., Div. of Ottaway Newspapers v City of Plattsburgh, 185 AD2d §18), and these exceptions, in turn, 'must be narrowly scrutinized, lest the article's clear mandate be thwarted by thinly veiled references to the areas delineated thereunder' (Weatherwax v Town of Stony Point, 97 AD2d 840, 841, quoting Daily Gazette Co. v Town Bd., Town of Cobleskill, supra, at 304; see, Matter of Orange County Publs., Div. of Ottaway Newspapers v County of Orange, 120 AD2d 596, lv dismissed 68 NY2d 807)" [Gordon v. Village of Monticello, 207 AD 2d 55, 58 (1994)].

The remaining issue that you raised involves your request for free copies of minutes. You wrote that those who attend meetings can obtain copies at no cost, "but if [you] come in the next day, [you] have to pay." In this regard, I know of nothing in the Freedom of Information Law that would encourage or prohibit the practice that you described. I believe that there are often instances in which records or handouts are distributed at meetings to those who attend, but where, after the meetings, people may be required to request them in a more formal manner in accordance with the Freedom of Information Law. So long as you are not being singled out and that all others who request copies after meetings receive the same treatment, the practice would appear to be valid.

I hope that I have been of assistance.

Sincerely,

 

Robert J. Freeman
Executive Director

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cc: Town Board
Dennis Whepley, Town Attorney