The Jamestown Public School District intends to announce its appointment of a new Board of Education member Feb. 13.
The Board of Education called a special meeting Thursday evening to discuss the nine survey responses they received from people interested in a seat left open by Barbara Piazza.
Mrs. Piazza resigned after being charged with third-degree grand larceny, allegedly stealing more than $19,000 in cash between 2007 and 2011 while she was employed by Jamestown Area Medical Associates.
Upon calling the meeting to order, the board went directly into executive session to discuss the nine candidates for the open seat.
According to the Department of State Committee on Open Government, a public body may go into executive session after receiving a majority vote to do so in open session. Executive session is able to be conducted only for eight reasons, according to Open Meetings Law:
Matters which will imperil the public safety if disclosed;
Any matter which may disclose the identity of a law enforcement agent or informer;
Information relating to current or future investigation or prosecution of a criminal offense which will imperil effective law enforcement if disclosed;
Discussions regarding proposed, pending or current litigation;
Collective negotiations pursuant to article fourteen of the civil service law;
The medical, financial, credit or employment history of a particular person or corporation, or matters leading to the appointment, employment, promotion, demotion, discipline, suspension, dismissal or removal of a particular person or corporation;
The preparation, grading or administration of examinations; and
The proposed acquisition, sale or lease of real property or the proposed acquisition of securities, or sale or exchange of securities held by such public body, but only when publicly would substantially affect the value thereof.
Christine Schnars, president of the Board of Education, cited each of these as reason for the board's decision to meet in executive session Thursday.
"It would appear that a discussion focusing on the individual candidates could validly be considered in an executive session, for it would involve a matter leading to the appointment of a particular person. Nevertheless, in the only decision of which I am aware that dealt directly with the propriety of holding an executive to discuss filling a vacancy in an elective office, the court found that there was no basis for entry into executive session," said Robert Freeman, executive director for the state's Committee on Open Government.
Freeman cited a court case from 1994, Gordon V. Village of Monticello, which found that replacing elected officials should be open to public input and scrutiny, rather than closing the doors in an executive session.
The Jamestown Public Schools Board of Education anticipated coming to a decision at the end of their executive session. Mrs. Schnars said that they intended to inform each of the respondents of the board's decision before publicly announcing their decision Feb. 13.
The next Board of Education meeting was scheduled for 7 p.m. Feb. 7, however Mrs. Schnars will be out of town on that date, fulfilling duties under the New York State School Boards Association.
Due to this, The Jamestown Public Schools Board of Education chose to move the date of their meeting and announcement of new board member to 7 p.m. Feb. 13.
