Director of New York State Open Government at City Hall Tonight

Utica, NY – Robert J. Freeman, Executive Director New York State Committee on Open Government will be a guest at the City of Utica Common Council meeting Wednesday, September 19, 2012 at 5:00 PM. He has worked for the New York State Committee on Open Government since its creation in 1974 and was appointed Executive Director in 1976. He received his Law Degree from New York University and a BS in Foreign Service from GeorgetownUniversity in Washington, DC.

Mr. Freeman has addressed numerous government related organizations, bar associations, media groups and has lectured at various colleges and universities. He has also spoken on open government laws and concepts throughout the United States, as well as Canada, the Far East, Latin America and eastern Europe, and has taught the only course in an American law school on public access to government information.

The meeting is open to the public and Mr. Freeman will answer questions from the public and elected officials. Likely to be on the list for members of the city council will be long confusion over the legality of the way the council conducts their committee meetings, the legality of their caucus, now called a “pre-meeting conference,” and the recent controversy over members of the council bringing small video recorders to their desks.

By Larry Tanoury Jr.