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ROTTERDAM
Texting banned at town sessions Supervisor’s policy met with criticism
BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter

U btr nt b txt msg’ing @ Rotterdam Town Board meetngs ne more.
Sending such messages will no longer be tolerated during the board’s regular business sessions, according to Wednesday’s draft agenda. Wireless devices, such as cellphones or BlackBerry smart phones, should be turned off at meetings and texting will be prohibited, the agenda states.
    The directive to end text messaging during board meetings came abruptly from Supervisor Frank Del Gallo’s office without any consultation or vote from the full board. It was unclear Monday whether the new policy is aimed at members of the public, the Town Board or both.
    At least one resident regularly types a loose transcript of the board meetings on a BlackBerry. This transcript seems to appear on the Web-based community forum RotterdamNY.info, and is usually visible within minutes after meetings are adjourned.
    Del Gallo did not return calls to his office or cellphone Monday. Deputy Supervisor Robert Godlewski also did not return calls.
    Board member Nicola DiLeva, who owns a BlackBerry, was incensed by the apparent decree and questioned what authority Del Gallo had to make such a policy. She said the new regulation was put forward by either Del Gallo or Godlewski and done without any input from the board.
    “This is just ridiculous,” she said. “There is so much more we need to do for Rotterdam. There are so many more issues on the table. Why are we even bothering with this?”
    The new regulation also appears in violation of New York’s open meetings law. Robert Freeman, the executive director of the state Committee on Open Government, said case law specifi cally protects the right to record or videotape public meetings, provided this action doesn’t cause a disturbance.
    “The courts say a board cannot prohibit the use of a recording device unless it’s obstructive or obtrusive,” he said. “I don’t see this is distinguishable from that, so long as the device is not disruptive.”
    Further, Freeman said, some interpretations of the law suggest the town could be in violation of the First Amendment, especially if the aim of the policy is to restrict residents from posting unabridged notes from the meetings publicly. He said prohibiting someone from typing on a BlackBerry could be loosely equated with restricting someone from using a pen and paper to jot down notes.
    The new policy is also being rebuked by a number of residents discussing the matter online. Kevin March, a resident who frequents Town Board meetings, doesn’t mind turning off his BlackBerry’s ringer or setting it to vibrate, but he refused to be “singled out” for using the device during a public forum.
    “If anyone would like me to text to them what is happening at the meeting, please feel free to send me your phone number to text to,” he posted on RotterdamNY.info. ........................>>>>.....................>>>>.................................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00101&AppName=1

This is crazy!  

I really have sympathy for you Rotterdam residents.

I still can't believe this.

Is there a way to impeach supervisors?   He certainly is not a representative of or for the people in Rotterdam.  

This attempt to ban texting makes me think..this is just the tip of the ice berg on where his head is at...

If I had a Blackberry I would attend your meeting and sit up front texting to my hearts content.  Since it would upset him so I could envision him saying it is disruptive because it upsets him so.

Is there Wifi available in town hall?  They didn't say you can't bring your laptops.

Quoted from Kevin March

Is there Wifi available in town hall?  They didn't say you can't bring your laptops.

No wifi -- but the attempt to silence cell phones and texting is illegal and unenforceable.   The Supervisor and Deputy Supervisor would have to pry my cell phone from my cold dead hands before I turn it off during a publicmeeting.

or you could have a new laptop with a "SIM" card and skype the meeting

i see the news scouts were out today at town hall
sounds like the cell phone thing has gone viral

Quoted from TippyCanoe

or you could have a new laptop with a "SIM" card and skype the meeting

I keep my cellphone on at all times -- when I am not home -- because my aunts need to be able to reach me if they had an emergency.    

The Supervisor and Deputy Supervisor are delusionally paranoid that we folks in the audience are spying on them or God forbid -- letting the outside world know what is actually happening at a public meeting.

Quite honestly, they aren't that important nor interesting for us folks to spy on them and the public has pretty much seen all they need to know to realize what is going on.  

Schenectady city council agendas state specifically The Council President reserves the right to remove any item from the agenda before the meeting.

I get the impression that the Del Gallo Administration wants the board members to be paying attention during the meeting. I don't get the impression that this directive is directed at the attending public.

Its well known that Michael Brockbank, when he was the city's corporation counsel, was playing solitaire on his laptop. I believe that the Explorer post 7 captured that and it was broadcast on the public channel 16.

As a citizen and taxpayer of the city I would rather not see council members texting, although Mayor Stratton does it all the time. You can see him doing it from the audience, in fact I believe the Gazette put out an article one time about the Mayor and the Commissioner texting back and forth. It really is pathetic to see.

So fear not people. You can videotape and record the audio as you wish. As long as you are not being obtrusive. (that word cracks me up)

Channel 13 just reported that they did talk so FDG and he has changed his mind and THE BAN IS OFF!

They interviewed Freeman and he said there was no way to enforce it....not in this day and age.

So text away rotterdamians!!!

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Rotterdam considers then withdraws ban on texting

ROTTERDAM -   By this point in life you've probably seen people tapping away at their cell phone keyboards.
For many users texting is almost as common as talking.
It's usually silent or close to it. It didn't seem to be much of a problem, until...

The draft agenda for the Wednesday Rotterdam Town Board meeting.
Turn off your cell phone and blackberry. There will be no text messages during town board meetings.
Welcome to the nanny state. Assuming the rule is enforceable, which it probably is not.

"And the courts have, since 1979, said that anybody can record so long as the use of the device is not disruptive or obtrusive," said Robert Freeman of the Committee on Open Government. "My guess is that it would be no more distracting than what you're doing right now, taking notes."

Since 1974 lawyer Bob Freeman has been issuing advisory opinions on government access. He's part of the New York Secretary of State's office.

And as for the texting ban, Freeman says no way, it's not even close.

"The reality is that texting, for so many, has simply become part of life in 2011. I don't think that there's any way that we could prohibit it,  even if we wanted to do so."

Rotterdam Town Supervisor Frank Del Gallo took it upon himself to make the no texting rule.

Board member Nicola DiLeva told NewsChannel 13 he did not clear it with the other elected board members and she certainly doesn't favor it.

After a large amount of negative reaction Del Gallo told NewsChannel 13 he had reconsidered and decided to withdraw the ban on texting.

http://wnyt.com/article/stories/S1964195.shtml?cat=300

Incredible that it took information from the state laws for the local almighty dictator to realize he can't do that.

Did you see how that woman in the office (on Ch 13) said it was only drafted.   Give me a break

And of course he conveniently wasn't available to be interviewed.  Amazing he returned a call, wonder who directed him to do so.

At least he returned a call, Stratton would never do that

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So fear not people. You can videotape and record the audio as you wish. As long as you are not being obtrusive. (that word cracks me up)

Another funny word,,,,is obtunded,,,which I think the old guard is......

as for the metroplex....I think they are obfuscating.....

Tomasone is looking like a damn genius at this point!!

Greeny Compared to FDG ST was friggin George Washington Thomas Jefferson and James Madison rolled into one!

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ROTTERDAM
Texting is OK at board’s meeting
BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter

    Don’t be afraid to send a quick text from the next Rotterdam Town Board meeting.
    There will be no stern reprisals for text messaging during the meeting. And there will be no officer of the peace scanning the crowd for people tapping away at wireless devices as the board conducts its business.
    Supervisor Frank Del Gallo has scrapped the short-lived ban on text messaging from board meetings after facing outrage from the public and questions about the legality of such a directive. The agenda posted for Wednesday’s meeting made no mention of text messaging, and Del Gallo said the matter won’t be brought up again.
    “It’s a dead issue,” he said before the meeting Wednesday. “If the law says you can’t do it, we won’t do it.”
    Most members of the public seemed largely unaffected during the board’s meeting Wednesday. Several residents filmed the proceedings using small video recorders, and it appeared as though one person managed to fire off a text message to the online public forum Rotterdamny.info.
    Del Gallo said he inserted the new policy on Monday’s draft agenda after fi elding several complaints about people fi ddling with wireless devices during the business meetings. He figured banning text messaging would be a natural extension of the request for people to turn off their cellphones during the meetings.
    “There’s already a sign that says shut off your cellphone,” he said Wednesday.
    But Del Gallo said he didn’t anticipate the degree of fervor his new policy would stir among residents. And he didn’t consider that such a directive could be construed as a viola- tion of the open meetings law. .......................>>>>...............................>>>>..........................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01103&AppName=1