July 31, 1997

 

 

 

Mr. Walt Steesy
Executive Secretary
Sampson AFB Veterans Association, Inc.
P.O. Box 299
Interlaken, NY 14847-0299

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. Steesy:

I have received your recent letter in which you requested copies of a brochure describing the Open Meetings Law and asked whether your organization, the Sampson Air Force Veterans Association, Inc., falls within the coverage of that law.

In my view, the Open Meetings Law would not be applicable. That statute pertains to meetings of public bodies, and §102(2) defines the phrase "public body" to mean:

"...any entity for which a quorum is required in order to conduct public business and which consists of two or more members, performing a governmental function for the state or for an agency or department thereof, or for a public corporation as defined in section sixty-six of the general construction law, or committee or subcommittee or other similar body of such public body."

Based on the foregoing, a public body is an entity of state or local government, such as a city council, a town board, a board of education, a county legislature, etc. Since the organization to you which you referred is a private corporation, rather than a governmental entity, I do not believe that it would constitute a "public body" subject to the Open Meetings Law.

Enclosed, as requested, are copies of the brochure. I hope that I have been of assistance.

Sincerely,

 

Robert J. Freeman
Executive Director

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