PDF14 Day Two
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Tag: new york
Hamburg (NY) School Board misconduct hearings will stay closed
After two days of hearing secret testimony about a school board member’s alleged misconduct, the Hamburg Central School District’s lawyer said the sessions must be kept confidential because the proceedings are quasi-judicial.
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NY Towns miss deadline on FOI request
Freedom of Information requests submitted April 15 to the towns of Ridgeway and Shelby (NY) for public records related to the proposed dissolution of the Village of Medina have yet to be fulfilled even though the deadline to do so has elapsed.
The records request was filed by the Medina Journal-Register, which publishes its last edition on Friday. Both towns acknowledged receiving the detailed request and said they would strive to respond in a timely manner.
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Utility companies are tearing up thousands of city streets to make repairs without permits
Thousands of city streets are being torn up by utility firms making repairs without permission, city records show. The number of fines levied against Con Ed, KeySpan Energy and smaller construction companies for illegally chopping up streets has risen 130% over the past five years, from 937 in 2008 to 2,153 in 2013, according to records obtained via a Freedom of Information Law request filed in November.
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How Andrew Cuomo Is Breaking His Promise For A Transparent Government
Adopting a tactic that has been used by officials ranging from Sarah Palin to staffers of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, aides to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo are sending emails from private accounts to conduct official business.
I know because I got one myself. And three other people who interact with the governor's office on policy or media matters told me they have too. None of the others wanted to be named.
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Open the library books – Queens Library must let controller audit
The Queens Library trustees have joined President Tom Galante in stonewalling scrutiny of the system’s financial records. The whole lot of them must be scared.
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New Paltz (N.Y.) board asks for more info on housing project
The town board has filed a Freedom of Information request with the Ulster County Industrial Development Agency, seeking information about the agency's involvement with the developer of the proposed Park Point housing complex.
The FOIL request comes on the heels of the IDA's decision to grant the developer, Wilmorite, a 25-year tax abatement for the $60 million SUNY New Paltz project, a move the town board has opposed.
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New law would require open records compliance for N.Y. agencies
New state legislation is being drafted to require state agencies to comply with the section of the open-records law that calls for posting information online.
Part of New York’s Freedom of Information Law requires each state agency to maintain up-to-date “subject matter lists” — indexes of all records maintained by the agency — and to post them on the Internet.
A study by The Ithaca Journal of 86 state agencies, published in a March 15 Watchdog Report, found 79 agencies were not in compliance with that part of the law.
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Governor Cuomo Highlights Open NY for Sunshine Week
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today honored Sunshine Week by issuing a one-year report on Open NY, an initiative aimed at increasing citizens' engagement with their government, and encouraging New Yorkers to visit the State's comprehensive data transparency website, Data.NY.Gov. The Open NY One-Year Report, which reviews accomplishments and sets the stage for the future of the initiative, is available on Data.NY.Gov.
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Open-government regulations gain strength
In February, the Gloversville mayor and Common Council spent nearly 90 minutes behind closed doors in a meeting a state official later said appeared to violate the state's Open Meetings Law.
In January, members of the new Montgomery County Legislature met privately with U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer in apparent violation of the law.
Also in January, the Johnstown Board of Education declined to immediately provide the public with details about administrative raises. A state official said the information should have been provided.
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