WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. From The Mayor's Office. June 26, 2006: Reacting swiftly to an uproar raised against over a city attempt to restrict picture-taking by reporters and video-taping of council meetings by citizens without prior written permission at last Wednesday's Common Council work session and Special Meeting, Mayor Joseph Delfino issued a statement today promising to introduce legislation to rescind the 63 year old ordinance the Mayor's Office attempted to enforce last Wednesday.

At that Wednesday, June 21 meeting Carl Albanese a videographer who has been taping city meetings for at least five years, was presented with a policy statement by the Mayor's Office staff forbidding Albanese from videotaping or recording council meetings without written permission.

The CitizeNetReporter, when I arrived after the meeting had commenced, was also told by a police officer, I could not take pictures of the work session either, without permission. The CitizeNetReporter interrupted the council meeting at a natural break in the action to ask the Mayor (who was conducting the meeting)  if this was true. The Mayor on the spot gave the CitizeNetReporter permission to take pictures of the meeting. Later Paul Wood, the Mayor's Executive officer suspended the ordinance for the evening, saying WPCNR and Mr. Albanese and all other media had to apply for permission to photograph future meetings. Inquiries by WPCNR of the city legal department to ascertain the policy procedure to get that blanket permission were not answered.

Media reports of Mr. Albanese's confrontation with Paul Wood, the City Executive Officer on the matter, followed by a outraged editorial in the Sunday edition of The Journal News followed.

Today the Mayor issued this statement on the "access" issue:

“At a recent meeting of the Common Council I directed members of my staff to disseminate copies of a City ordinance that regulated the use of recording devices and photography. Upon reviewing the implementation of this ordinance further, it is clear that this was a mistake. This was an attempt to address concerns raised by constituents regarding the disruptive actions of some residents and members of the press during public meetings. In doing so, we relied upon the only existing legislation, and the opinion of Corporation Counsel, to regulate this activity. I am in the process of drafting new legislation, and rescinding the ordinance that currently exists. It is my sincere hope that the Council will support my initiative at the next meeting of the Common Council. I would only ask that those wishing to film/ record/ photograph during public meetings do so in the least disruptive manner possible.”