MONTICELLO — Sullivan County Legislator Cora Edwards hosted NYS Committee on Open Government Executive Director Robert Freeman at the Government Center in Monticello last Tuesday.

Considered the leading expert on public meeting rules in the state, Freeman entertainingly educated one and all about the misperceptions surrounding meetings.

He discussed the “personnel myth” (often, and illegally, used as an excuse to go into private executive session), and the validity of closed-door meetings about proposed/pending/current litigation vs. the illegitimacy of closed-door meetings about the threat or fear of litigation.

Another myth he dismissed was that discussions in executive session cannot be made public (they can be), and Freeman described the “awful provision of law” allowing private caucus meetings on any topic (though Dutchess County leaders keep their political caucuses open).

He noted that people who successfully sue over an illegally-held private meeting can be awarded all the legal fees they've spent.

His penultimate piece of advice: “You don't like the way they're functioning? You vote the rascals out!”

Freeman welcomes calls or emails from anyone: 518-474-2518 or coog@dos.ny.

gov.

But before you do, try looking on the Committee's informative website first: www.dos.ny.gov/coog.