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Resolution to Authorize Professional Development and Conference Attendance for Village Officials and Employees

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    Resolution to Authorize Professional Development and Conference Attendance for Village Officials and Employees
    working documentmeeting · 2026-04-09

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Verified against NY State statutes and guidance, with AI assistance from Claude.

VILLAGE OF RED HOOK RESOLUTION #___ – 2026 DATED: APRIL 13, 2026

RESOLUTION TO AUTHORIZE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND CONFERENCE ATTENDANCE FOR VILLAGE OFFICIALS AND EMPLOYEES

WHEREAS, during the coming official year, conferences and training programs will be offered by the New York Conference of Mayors (NYCOM) and Dutchess County associations; and

WHEREAS, Village trustees are elected citizens who take on complex responsibilities in municipal finance, land use, infrastructure, and legal compliance, and professional training is how they develop the expertise these roles demand; and

WHEREAS, the Board is committed to the prudent use of taxpayer dollars and to getting the greatest return from training expenditures; and

WHEREAS, the prior qualification “subject to budget availability” should be replaced with an affir­ mative commitment to professional development;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Red Hook as follows:

1. The following officials and employees are authorized to attend the following conferences and training programs:

  • Mayor, Board of Trustees, Clerk, Treasurer: NYCOM Fall Training School, NYCOM Winter Legislative Meeting, NYCOM Annual Meeting and Training School

  • Mayor, DPW Foreman: NYCOM Public Works Training School

  • Mayor, Deputy Mayor: Dutchess County Supervisors & Mayors Association, Dutchess County Transportation Council

  • Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals members, Planning/Zoning Clerk: Dutchess County Planning Association

2. Pursuant to General Municipal Law §77­b(2), authorized officials and employees are entitled to reimbursement for all actual and necessary costs incurred while attending these programs.

3. Attendance at authorized conferences and training programs shall not require additional Board approval. The Village shall cover registration, travel, lodging, and meals for all authorized attendees. Attendees are strongly encouraged to minimize costs to the Village, wherever prudent.

4. Beginning with the FY 2026–2027 budget, the Chief Budget Officer shall include a professional development line item sufficient to allow all authorized officials and employees to attend the programs listed in Section 1. Professional development is a budgeted priority and shall not be denied on the basis of budget availability.

5. Attendees shall present a brief written report at the next possible public meeting of the Board, summarizing lessons learned and identifying any takeaways relevant to Board business, Village operations, or staff.

6. The Board intends to adopt a separate travel and expense policy establishing per diem rates, mileage reimbursement, and related guidelines. Until such policy is adopted, reimbursement shall follow GSA federal per diem rates for the applicable location.

Page 1

7. Any prior resolution, motion, or policy that apportions, rations, or limits the training budget among individual Board members — including but not limited to the per­Trustee allocation referenced in the motion passed on January 26, 2026 — is hereby superseded and of no further effect.

8. Severability. If any provision of this Resolution is held invalid, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

9. This Resolution shall take effect immediately.

Motion by: ____________________ Seconded by: __________________

The foregoing resolution was duly put to a vote, which resulted as follows:

Mayor Smythe□Aye□Nay□Abstain□Recuse□Absent/Excused
DeputyMayor Kjarval□Aye□Nay□Abstain□Recuse□Absent/Excused
Trustee Uku□Aye□Nay□Abstain□Recuse□Absent/Excused
Trustee Allen□Aye□Nay□Abstain□Recuse□Absent/Excused
Trustee Rothstein□Aye□Nay□Abstain□Recuse□Absent/Excused
Vote Total
ResultMotion:

I hereby attest that the above Resolution was approved by the Board of Trustees at its April 13, 2026 meeting, and that I have been authorized to sign this Resolution by decision of the Board of Trustees.

Jennifer Cavanaugh, Clerk Date Date: _______________

Page 2

Changes between versions

2026-04-13→2026-04-27
substantive change+27 −23

The resolution was amended to expand videoconference access to all meeting types and mandate administrative control for the Village Clerk.

  • Title changed from 'Resolution to Require Videoconference Access for All Public Meetings of the Board of Trustees' to 'Resolution to Update Videoconference Access and Security for Public Meetings'
  • Document date advanced from 2026-04-13 to 2026-04-27
  • Added Section 1 (Account access) requiring the Village Clerk to be the primary administrator and to receive full admin credentials from the current holder
  • Added Section 4 (New link per meeting) requiring the Village Clerk to generate a unique link for every meeting
  • Added Section 6 (Recording) requiring all videoconferenced meetings to be recorded
  • Expanded scope of videoconference access from a proposed new requirement to an explicit amendment of current practice (which previously only offered access at monthly Board meetings)
  • Removed specific mention of the '$34 per month' Zoom Webinar license cost and the directive to the Chief Budget Officer
Show red-line diff
VerifiedGuidance againstfrom NY StateCommittee statuteson Open Government, NYCOM, and guidance,pending withstate legislation. AI assistance from Claude. **VILLAGE OF RED HOOK RESOLUTION #___ – 2026 DATED: APRIL 1327, 2026** ## **RESOLUTION TO REQUIREUPDATE VIDEOCONFERENCE ACCESS AND SECURITY FOR ALL PUBLIC MEETINGS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES** **WHEREAS,** the Board ofadopted Trustees is committed to ensuring public access to all its meetings, a principle reinforced by the Open Meetings Law and by our ownvideoconferencing procedures adoptedon April 10, 2023 (asResolutions Resolution #7-2023 and #8-2023), which requirerequiring that the public be able to observe and participate in Board meetings by video; and **WHEREAS,** unauthorizeda individualsdisruption interruptedat the ZoomMarch videoconference of a recent2026 Board meeting, broadcasting offensive content, and said disruption overrode the security settings reported to be in place at the time, demonstrating that standardthe Village’s Zoom meetingaccount controlsconfiguration arerequires insufficientcontrol toat preventthe suchadmin attackslevel; and **WHEREAS,** the appropriateVillage responseClerk must have admin access to athe disruptionvideoconference ofaccount publicin access isorder to strengthenverify security,and notmaintain tothose restrict or eliminate the public’s ability to attend remotelysettings; and **WHEREAS,** a Zoom Webinar license is available at approximately $34 per month under the nonprofit discount for which the Village qualifies, and provides the security controls necessary to prevent the type of disruption experienced; and **WHEREAS,** there is no fiscal or technical justification for curtailing public videoconference access tois currently offered only at monthly Board meetings, excluding workshops and special meetings; and **WHEREAS,** this Resolution addresses public access onlyworkshops and doesspecial notmeetings alterare the requirements for Board member attendance or the quorum rules established underwhere the Board conducts substantive deliberation and regularly takes binding votes; and **WHEREAS,** Board members and residents may have caregiving responsibilities, work schedules, or disabilities that make attending evening meetings in person difficult, and the current Board — four of five of whom have minor children at home — can appreciate this need; and **WHEREAS,** extending videoconference access to all public meetings advances the Village’s videoconferencingstated procedurescommitment adoptedto Aprilimproving 10communications with the public; and **WHEREAS,** 2023the current practice of requiring the public to contact the Village Clerk in advance to obtain a meeting link might create a barrier to attendance; **NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED** by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Red Hook as follows: **1. Account access.** The Village Clerk shall obtainbe the primary administrator of the Village’s Zoom account. The current account holder shall provide full admin credentials to the Clerk immediately following adoption of this Resolution. The Clerk shall verify and maintainlock athe security settings described in the attached Zoom WebinarSecurity license for public meetingsGuide, atand approximatelyremain $34primary peradministrator monthgoing with nonprofit pricingforward. **2. All public meetings.** Every meeting of the Board of Trustees at which a quorum is present shall provide a virtual attendance option for the public via the selected platform. This includes regular meetings, special meetings, workshops, public hearings, and informational sessions. This amends the current practice of offering videoconference access only at monthly Board meetings. **3. Public link.** The videoconference link shall be posted on the Village website, and included in the meeting agenda. Any policy, andpractice, inor allposting videoconferencing-relatedrequiring communications of the Board. No member of the public shall be required toadvance contact any Village official in advance to obtain the link is hereby rescinded and shall be removed from all Village communications, agendas, and web pages prior to the next noticed public meeting. **4. New link per meeting.** The Village Clerk shall establishgenerate a processnew meeting link for receivingeach meeting. Meeting links from prior meetings shall not be reused. Page 1 **5. Public comment.** During public comment fromperiods, members of the public attending by videoconference, ensuringshall they arebe afforded the same opportunity to speak as those attending in person. **5.** TheAll Boardpersons herebywishing authorizesto expenditurespeak fromshall make themselves known to the Generalmeeting Fund for the selected videoconference platform. The Chief Budget Officer is directed to include this appropriation in the currenthost and subsequentstate fiscaltheir yearname budgetsand, if a Village resident, their address. **6. Recording.** TheAll Village’smeetings ITconducted consultantusing videoconferencing shall be responsible for platform setup, security configuration,recorded and trainingshall thefollow Villageall Clerk on the operationstipulations of the selected platform. The Village Clerk shall be responsible for posting the videoconference link on the Village website and including it in meeting agendas and allBoard’s videoconferencing-related Boardprocedures communicationsadopted April 10, 2023. Page 1 **7.** Nothing in thisThis Resolution modifiesgoverns public access to meetings and does not alter quorum requirements. The Board may revisit the Board’s adopted procedures governing Trustee remote attendance byseparately, videoconferencein orlight of pending state legislation and the requirementsexpiration forof establishingPOL §103-a quorumon July 1, 2026. **8. Severability.** If any provision of this Resolution is held invalid, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect. **9.** This Resolution shall take effect immediately. Motion by: ____________________ Seconded by: __________________ The foregoing resolution was duly put to a vote, which resulted as follows: |Mayor Smythe|□Aye|□Nay|□Abstain|□Recuse|□Absent/Excused| |---|---|---|---|---|---| |DeputyMayor Kjarval|□Aye|□Nay|□Abstain|□Recuse|□Absent/Excused| |Trustee Uku|□Aye|□Nay|□Abstain|□Recuse|□Absent/Excused| |Trustee Allen|□Aye|□Nay|□Abstain|□Recuse|□Absent/Excused| |Trustee Rothstein|□Aye|□Nay|□Abstain|□Recuse|□Absent/Excused| |Vote Total|||||| |Result|Motion:||||| I hereby attest that the above Resolution was approved by the Board of Trustees at its April 1327, 2026 meeting, and that I have been authorized to sign this Resolution by decision of the Board of Trustees. Jennifer Cavanaugh, Clerk Date Date: _______________ Page 2
2026-04-27→2026-06-08
substantive change+10 −63

The document transitioned from a detailed proposed resolution to a condensed, high-level summary of the established policy.

  • Title changed from 'Resolution to Update Videoconference Access and Security for Public Meetings' to 'Resolution Establishing Public Videoconference Access at Board Meetings'
  • Document date changed from 'APRIL 27, 2026' to '2026-06-08'
  • Status changed from a detailed draft resolution with specific administrative instructions to a condensed summary of resolved clauses
  • Removed specific administrative mandate: 'The Village Clerk shall be the primary administrator of the Village’s Zoom account' and the requirement to provide credentials
  • Removed specific security requirement: 'The Clerk shall verify and lock the security settings described in the attached Zoom Security Guide'
  • Removed specific rescission of old practices: 'Any policy, practice, or posting requiring advance contact to obtain the link is hereby rescinded'
  • Added clause regarding recordings: 'Links to recordings and availability shall be in accordance with POL §103-a(7)'
  • Added exception to scope: 'Every Board meeting shall provide a public videoconference attendance option, except for emergency meetings'
Show red-line diff
GuidanceWHEREAS fromclauses: - NY Committee onthe Open Government,Meetings NYCOMLaw (OML) requires public meetings, and pendingPublic stateOfficers legislation.Law AI§103-a assistance(POL from§103-a) Claude. **VILLAGE OF RED HOOK RESOLUTION #___ – 2026 DATED: APRIL 27, 2026** ## **RESOLUTION TO UPDATE VIDEOCONFERENCE ACCESS AND SECURITY FOR PUBLIC MEETINGS** **WHEREAS,** the Board adoptedauthorizes videoconferencing proceduresto onexpand Aprilaccess - 10many Village residents face caregiving, 2023work, (Resolutionsor #7-2023mobility and #8-2023) requiringconstraints that themake publicin-person attendance difficult - recordings of meetings can be ableposted toor observelinked and participate in Board meetings by video; and **WHEREAS,** a disruptionpublicly at theno Marchadditional 2026 Board meeting overrode the security settings reported to be in place at the time, demonstrating that the Village’s Zoom account configuration requires control at the admin level; and **WHEREAS,** the Village Clerk must have admin accesscost to the videoconferenceVillage RESOLVED accountclauses: - in order to verify and maintain those settings; and **WHEREAS,** videoconferenceStanding access. is currently offered only at monthlyEvery Board meetings, excluding workshops and special meetings; and **WHEREAS,** workshops and special meetings are where the Board conducts substantive deliberation and regularly takes binding votes; and **WHEREAS,** Board members and residents may have caregiving responsibilities, work schedules, or disabilities that make attending evening meetings in person difficult, and the current Board — four of five of whom have minor children at home — can appreciate this need; and **WHEREAS,** extending videoconference access to all public meetings advances the Village’s stated commitment to improving communications with the public; and **WHEREAS,** the current practice of requiring the public to contact the Village Clerk in advance to obtain a meeting link might create a barrier to attendance; **NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED** by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Red Hook as follows: **1. Account access.** The Village Clerk shall be the primary administrator of the Village’s Zoom account. The current account holder shall provide full admin credentials to the Clerk immediately following adoption of this Resolution. The Clerk shall verify and lock the security settings described in the attached Zoom Security Guide, and remain primary administrator going forward. **2. All public meetings.** Every meeting of the Board of Trustees at which a quorum is present shall provide a virtualpublic videoconference attendance option, except for the public. This includes regular meetings, special meetings, workshops, public hearings, and informational sessions. This amends the current practice of offering videoconference access only at monthly Boardemergency meetings. **3. - Public link.** The videoconference link shall beappear postedin the agenda and on the Village website and included in the meeting agenda. Any policy, practice, or posting requiring advance contact to obtain the link is hereby rescinded and shall be removed from all Village communications, agendas, and web pages prior to the next noticed public meeting. **4. - New link per meeting.** The Village Clerk shall generate a new meeting link for each meeting. Meeting links from prior meetings shall not be reused. Page 1 **5. - Public commentaccess to recording.** DuringLinks publicto commentrecordings periods,and members of the public attending by videoconferenceavailability shall be afforded the same opportunity to speak as those attending in person.accordance All persons wishing to speak shall make themselves known to the meeting host and state their name and, if a Village resident, their address. **6. Recording.** All meetings conducted using videoconferencing shall be recorded and shall follow all stipulations of the Board’s videoconferencing procedures adopted April 10, 2023. **7.** This Resolution governs public access to meetings and does not alter quorum requirements. The Board may revisit the procedures governing Trustee remote attendance separately, in light of pending state legislation and the expiration ofwith POL §103-a on July 1, 2026(7). **8. Severability.** If any provision of this Resolution is held invalid, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect. **9.** - This Resolution shall take effect immediately. Motion by: ____________________ Seconded by: __________________ The foregoing resolution was duly put to a vote, which resulted as follows: |Mayor Smythe|□Aye|□Nay|□Abstain|□Recuse|□Absent/Excused| |---|---|---|---|---|---| |DeputyMayor Kjarval|□Aye|□Nay|□Abstain|□Recuse|□Absent/Excused| |Trustee Uku|□Aye|□Nay|□Abstain|□Recuse|□Absent/Excused| |Trustee Allen|□Aye|□Nay|□Abstain|□Recuse|□Absent/Excused| |Trustee Rothstein|□Aye|□Nay|□Abstain|□Recuse|□Absent/Excused| |Vote Total|||||| |Result|Motion:||||| I hereby attest that the above Resolution was approved by the Board of Trustees at its April 27, 2026 meeting, and that I have been authorized to sign this Resolution by decision of the Board of Trustees. Jennifer Cavanaugh, Clerk Date Page 2
2026-06-08→2026-06-08
adopted+41 −10

The document transitioned from a draft summary to a formal Village of Red Hook resolution including voting records and legislative citations.

  • Status changed from a draft/summary to a formal 'VILLAGE OF RED HOOK RESOLUTION #___ – 2026'
  • Added reference to 'Resolution #7-2023' in the WHEREAS clauses
  • Added attribution to 'Trustee Uku' and 'AI assistance from Claude'
  • Added formal voting table including Mayor Smythe, Deputy Mayor Kjarval, Trustee Uku, Trustee Allen, and Trustee Rothstein
  • Added formal motion and seconding signature lines
Show red-line diff
By Trustee Uku, sourced from NY State statute. AI assistance from Claude. **VILLAGE OF RED HOOK RESOLUTION #___ – 2026 DATED: JUNE 8, 2026** ## **RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING PUBLIC VIDEOCONFERENCE ACCESS AT BOARD MEETINGS** **WHEREAS clauses: -,** the Open Meetings Law (OML) requires public meetings, and Public Officers Law §103-a (POL §103-a) authorizes videoconferencing to expand access ; and **WHEREAS,** Resolution #7-2023 further established that members of the public should be able to observe and participate in Board meetings by videoconference; and **WHEREAS,** many Village residents face caregiving, work, or mobility constraints that make in-person attendance difficult -; and **WHEREAS,** recordings of meetings can be posted or linked publicly at no additional cost to the Village ; **NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED** clausesby the Board of Trustees of the Village of Red Hook as follows: - **1. Standing access.** Every Board meeting shall provide a public videoconference attendance option, except for emergency meetings. - **2. Public link.** The link shall appear in the agenda and on the Village website. - **3. New link per meeting.** The Clerk shall generate a new link for each meeting. - **4. Public access to recording.** Links to recordings and availability shall be in accordance with POL §103-a(7). - **5.** This Resolution shall take effect immediately. Motion by: ____________________ Seconded by: __________________ The foregoing resolution was duly put to a vote, which resulted as follows: |Mayor Smythe|□Aye|□Nay|□Abstain|□Recuse|□Absent/Excused| |---|---|---|---|---|---| |DeputyMayor Kjarval|□Aye|□Nay|□Abstain|□Recuse|□Absent/Excused| |Trustee Uku|□Aye|□Nay|□Abstain|□Recuse|□Absent/Excused| |Trustee Allen|□Aye|□Nay|□Abstain|□Recuse|□Absent/Excused| |Trustee Rothstein|□Aye|□Nay|□Abstain|□Recuse|□Absent/Excused| |Vote Total|||||| |Result|Motion:||||| Page 1

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