Individuals unable to attend town board meetings because of health, work schedule, etc. reasons are able to listen to meeting recordings provided on their websites. An especially useful tool when no media meeting coverage takes place – as happened this past week, again.

Why the Town of Lancaster refuses to live stream the meeting is disconcerting – especially with Covid concerns resurfacing.

For that reason I submitted the following correspondence:

August 30, 2021
Town of Lancaster Clerk’s Office
RE: Town Board Meeting content distribution
Attention: Town Clerk Diane Terranova

Ms. Terranova

I am submitting this correspondence to you requesting you forward it to the members of the Town Board, Attorney Loftus, and anyone involved in town board meeting content and its distribution.

Town Board Meeting Recording on Town website

Lancaster residents who are unable to attend town board meetings because of physical limitations, work schedules and other reasons can access meeting information through the media or from listening to the meeting recordings on the town website.

The Buffalo News has not had a reporter present at town board meetings for some time. This week the Lancaster Bee reported only on a work session presentation by Hearts and Hands. That left only the town’s meeting recording on the town’s website to access meeting information.

As happens at every recording meeting much of the comment dialogue is missed or potentially misheard because town board members and residents addressing the board are not using the provided microphones or distancing themselves from the microphones and rendering them ineffective.

This week, Supervisor Ruffino, Councilmembers Leary and Dickman, and Attorney Loftus come across loud and clear, Councilmembers Wozniak and Mazur and Town Engineer barely audible. Individuals attending meetings report not hearing residents at the podium with their backs to them inaudible when not effectively adjusting the microphone.

Resolution language

Residents are allowed five minutes to address the board on pre-filed resolutions. Too often the language in the resolution is opaque or incomplete in information where clarification is required to ensure the resolution is not implying additional hiring (rather personnel replacement), purchases are needs rather than wants, etc.

Transparency

When campaigning, elected officials are quick to promise transparency and to act in the best interest of the community. Residents are deprived of said transparency when no meeting written report of the meeting is presented and where the town provided meeting recording is indistinguishable. It is especially frustrating when town official comments are indistinguishable and can result in misleading assumptions.

Work Session

It is unfortunate the pre-meeting work session is not recorded or presented in abbreviated written form. These sessions are often as important as the regular meetings.

With projects in play, a budget at hand, and an election in the near future, residents should have an opportunity to receive and process as much information as possible to ensure their elected officials are held accountable in acting in the best interest of the community.

Lee Chowaniec
Lancaster, NY

CC:
Town Board members
Town Attorney Kevin Loftus
Town Engineer Ed Schiller