RULES OF PROCEDURE: 

N.Y. Village Law, the Local Laws of the Village of Palmyra and the following rules of procedure are hereby adopted as guidelines to the Village Board of Trustees meeting.  The Board of  Trustees reserves the right to enact any and all of the stated rules of order should it be deemed necessary.

 

REGULAR MEETINGS: 

The regular meetings of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Palmyra shall be held at 6:30pm on the first and third Monday, in the months of September through June, the Board will meet on the first Monday night of the month only for the months of July and August, with the exception that any holidays which may fall on the above dates will automatically move the regular meeting night to the following Monday in the month.  The Village Clerk will prepare a written agenda for each Village Board meeting following the same guidelines as resolved in previous years.

 

QUORUM: 

A quorum shall be required to conduct business.  A quorum of the (5) five member Board of Trustees shall be (3) three.  In the absence of a quorum, a lesser number may adjourn and compel the attendance of absent members. 

 

EXECUTIVE SESSIONS: 

Executive sessions shall be held in accordance with the NYS Public Officers Law  105.  All executive sessions shall be commenced in a public meeting.

 

AGENDAS: 

The agenda shall be prepared by the Clerk at the direction of the Mayor.  Trustees may also place items on the agenda with the knowledge of the Mayor.

The Mayor or any Trustee may have an item placed on the agenda at  anytime, including at the meeting, by a majority vote of the Board.  When possible, items for the agenda shall be given to the Clerk by the Friday preceding the meeting by 12 Noon,

If necessary a supplemental (addendum) agenda may be distributed at the beginning of the meeting.

The public does not have the authority to place an item on the agenda. If a concern arises, they should first contact the Department Head or Supervisor to ask questions regarding their issue or concern. If unsatisfied with the Department Head's or Supervisor's response, they should seek out the Board Liaison. If they are not satisfied with the Board Liaison's answer, the Mayor may consider if it goes on the agenda.

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VOTING: 

Pursuant to Village Law each member of the Board shall have one vote.  The Mayor may vote on any matter but must vote in case of a tie.  A majority of the totally authorized voting power is necessary to pass a matter unless otherwise specified by State law.  An abstention, silence or absence shall be considered a negative vote for the purposes of determining the final vote on a matter. 

 

MINUTES: 

Minutes shall be taken by the Clerk. Minutes shall consist of a record or summary of all motions, proposals, resolutions, and any other matter formally voted upon and the vote thereon.  Minutes shall be taken at executive session of any action that is taken by formal vote which shall consist of a record or summary of the final determination of such action, and the date and vote thereon; provided, however, that such summary need not include any matter which is not required to be made public by the NYS Freedom of Information Law.

Minutes shall also include the following:

• Name of the Board

• Date and time of meeting

• Notation of presence or absence of Board members and time of arrival or departure if different from time of call to order and adjournment

• Name and title of other village officials and employees present

• Record of communications presented to the Board

• Record of reports made by Board or other village personnel

• Time of adjournment

• Signature of Clerk or person who took the minutes if not the Clerk.

 

     Minutes shall not contain a summary of the discussion leading to action taken or include verbatim comments unless a majority of the Board shall resolve to have the Clerk do so.  Minutes shall be approved at the next board meeting whenever possible. Amendments to the minutes shall require Board approval.

 

ORDER OF BUSINESS: 

• Call to Order

• Roll call

• Approval of minutes of previous meeting

• Approval of abstract (second meeting of the month)

• Correspondence/Announcements

• Trustee Reports

• Old/New Business

• Public Session

• Adjournment

 

GENERAL RULES OF PROCEDURE:

The Mayor shall preside at meeting. In the Mayor's absence the Deputy Mayor shall preside.  The presiding officer may debate, move and take other action that may be taken by other members of the Board. Motions to close or limit debate may be entertained but shall require a two-thirds vote.

 

Public Comment Rules for Village Meetings
As Mayor of the Village of Palmyra, I am committed to ensuring public participation while maintaining order and efficiency during meetings. Under New York's Open Meetings Law, residents have the right to attend and observe meetings. While public comment periods are not required, I have chosen to provide them as a policy. To ensure fairness and consistency, please observe the following rules when participating in the public comment period:

1. Time Limit for Speakers:
   Each speaker is allotted up to 3 minutes to make their statement. A timer will be set for 3 minutes. Your statement must conclude by the 3-minute mark. Any remaining time cannot be transferred to another speaker. This ensures that all participants have an opportunity to speak and helps keep the meeting on schedule.

2. Sign-Up Procedure:
   Residents who wish to speak at the meeting must contact the Village Hall by 5:00 PM on the Friday before the Monday meeting to request time to make a statement as well as the topic.

3. Content Guidelines:
   Comments must be relevant to village business or agenda items. Personal attacks, defamatory remarks, and inappropriate language are strictly prohibited. If you wish to address concerns regarding a department head or an employee, please schedule a meeting with the Mayor to discuss the matter privately. This policy ensures a respectful and constructive environment for all participants.

4. Order and Decorum:
   Speakers must address the Mayor and the Board directly and are not permitted to engage in debates with other attendees. Only one person may speak at a time, and interruptions or disruptions will not be tolerated.

5. No Q&A During Comment Period:
   The public comment period is for statements only. Questions will be noted and addressed in writing before the next meeting or referred to the appropriate village department.

6. Respect for Time and Procedures:
   Speakers who exceed their allotted time or violate the rules will be asked to stop. Repeated disruptions may result in removal from the meeting.

7. Recording and Transparency:
   All comments will be recorded in the meeting minutes to ensure transparency and accountability.

By adhering to these guidelines, we can ensure a respectful and productive environment for public input, while remaining compliant with the Open Meetings Law. Thank you for your cooperation.

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GUIDELINES FOR USE OF RECORDING EQUIPMENT: 

All members of the public and all public officials are allowed to tape or video record public meetings.  Recording is not allowed during executive sessions. The recording shall be done in a manner which does not interfere with the meeting.  The mayor may make the determination that the recording is being done in an intrusive manner taking into consideration, but not limited to, brightness of lights, distance from the deliberations of the Village Board, size of the equipment and the ability of the public to still participate in the meeting.  If the mayor make the determination that the recording is intrusive and has the effect of interfering with the meeting, the mayor may request an accommodation to avoid the interference and if not complied with ask the individual to leave the meeting room.  

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ADJOURNMENT: 

Meetings shall be adjourned by motion.

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AMENDMENTS TO THE RULES OF PROCEDURE: 

The foregoing procedures may be amended from time to time by a majority of the Board.     

 

FOR OTHER INFORMATION SEE THE NEW YORK OPEN MEETINGS LAW HERE.