Had the bill been approved by the board, no walk-in resolution -- bill proposals that do not appear on the meeting agenda -- could be heard without a 5-2 supermajority approval of the board.

Mr. Foley accused the majority of "operating under a cloak of darkness," by intentionally pushing back controversial resolutions as walk-ins to avoid having them vetted at work session and to keep them off the agenda. He said his proposal was designed to bring greater transparency to Town Board meetings.

"This resolution is in the true spirit of democracy," said Mr. Foley, before the measure failed to receive the necessary four votes for approval.

Conservative Councilwoman Jane Bonner took exception to Mr. Foley's blaming the majority for the recent increase in walk-in resolutions, which have often extended recent meetings until well past 10 p.m. Ms. Bonner said that of the 32 walk-in resolutions heard so far this year, 14 were proposed by the three Democrats on the board.

"I find this completely and totally ironic when the supervisor has had [four] walk-in resolutions of his own," Ms. Bonner said.

But Mr. Foley said there has been a difference in the types of resolutions being proposed as walk-ins by Democrats and those by the Republicans. Mr. Foley said Democrats have proposed walk-ins on measures that are time sensitive, while Republicans, typically, have not.

"These are resolutions that could have been easily discussed at work sessions," Mr. Foley said.

One recent walk-in resolution proposed and approved by the majority came last week, when the start time for Town Board work sessions was changed from 1:30 p.m. to 11 a.m. The time change makes it impossible for Democratic Councilwoman Connie Kepert to attend the first two-plus hours of all work sessions, because she is a teacher at Longwood High School.

Several members of the public spoke out Tuesday against the decision.

Other examples of walk-in resolutions proposed this year relate to the hiring and firing of department heads.

"Walking in these resolutions as late starters is not in the best traditions of an honest and open government," Mr. Foley said.

Earlier Tuesday Republican-appointed town attorney Karen Wilutis issued a memo to members of the Town Board questioning the appropriateness of Mr. Foley's proposal.

Ms. Wilutis attached to her memo another memo from an assistant town attorney she directed to determine whether or not "it is proper for the Town Board to amend its rules of procedure so as to require a two-thirds vote of the board in order to waive the rules and place a resolution on the agenda for consideration at a Town Board meeting."

Ms. Wilutis wrote in her memo: "The short answer is that a resolution of this type (walk-in) shall be required to receive [just] a majority vote of the Town Board."

But Democratic Councilman Steve Fiore-Rosenfeld, an attorney, disputed Ms. Wilutis' reasoning, saying the town has existing meeting rules that require a supermajority vote. He cited as an example the five votes needed to extend Town Board meetings beyond 10 p.m.

Mr. Fiore-Rosenfeld said he agreed with Mr. Foley that the number of walk-in resolutions and the important issues they deal with has gotten out of hand.

"This new majority wants to have its will and its way with everything," said Mr. Fiore-Rosenfeld, who said partisan politics have interfered with taking care of the people's business.

"We shouldn't have to be dealing with resolutions to amend meeting laws right now," he continued. "We should be spending this time on things such as open space ... important stuff."

gparpan@northshoresun.com

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