Skip to main content

To Continue Remote Meetings

Thu, 01/13/2022 - 11:08

A bill to enable municipalities, school districts, and other public entities to continue meeting virtually during the Covid-19 pandemic has passed both the New York State Assembly and Senate.

Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. announced yesterday that the bill makes these types of meetings “widely accessible” and “protects public health.” He sponsored the bill along with State Senator Jim Gaughran, who represents Long Island’s North Shore.

“As New York State and local governments continue their ongoing and ever-evolving response to the Covid-19 pandemic, it is nothing short of a necessity for local governments to have the authorization to meet safely and without delay,” Mr. Thiele said in a statement. “Having heard from local leaders in my constituency and across New York State, it has been made abundantly clear that this bill will continue to ensure safer and more accessible public meetings.”

The bill now awaits Gov. Kathy Hochul’s signature.

A representative of the nonprofit LTV Studios, which films remote meetings for East Hampton Town and Village, their regulatory bodies, and the East Hampton and Springs school boards, testified before the State Legislature in support of the measure.

“We are thankful to Fred Thiele and the Assembly for passing this important legislation,” Michael Clark, LTV’s executive director, said yesterday. “Even though it’s only for the pandemic, remote meetings are not going away. It’s good to see the government agencies embracing that. It is a step in the right direction.”

Villages

Christmas Birds: By the Numbers

Cold, still, quiet, and clear conditions marked the morning of the Audubon Christmas Bird Count in Montauk on Dec. 14. The cold proved challenging, if not for the groups of birders in search of birds, then certainly for the birds.

Dec 19, 2024

Shelter Islander’s Game Is a Tribute to His Home

For Serge Pierro of Shelter Island, a teacher of guitar lessons and designer of original tabletop games, his latest project speaks to his appreciation for his home of 19 years and counting. Called Shelter Island Experience, it’s a card game that showcases the “nuances of what makes life on Shelter Island so special and unique.”

Dec 19, 2024

Tackling Parking Problems in Sag Harbor

“It’s an issue that we continually have to manage and rethink,” Sag Harbor Village Mayor Thomas Gardella said at a parking workshop on Dec. 16. “We also have to consider the overall character of our village as we move forward with this.”

Dec 19, 2024

 

Your support for The East Hampton Star helps us deliver the news, arts, and community information you need. Whether you are an online subscriber, get the paper in the mail, delivered to your door in Manhattan, or are just passing through, every reader counts. We value you for being part of The Star family.

Your subscription to The Star does more than get you great arts, news, sports, and outdoors stories. It makes everything we do possible.