Residents denied voice at April 28 meeting

Why was the public shut out from addressing the Town Board at its April 28 meeting?

That’s exactly what happened when someone in Town Hall changed the meeting’s format from being a “regular” meeting — during which residents always have an opportunity to address the board during the public comment portion of the agenda — to a “work” session meeting during which there is no opportunity for public comment.

It happened despite the fact that the April 28 meeting was shown as a “regular/work session” meeting in the Jan. 6, 2026 resolution that established the Town Board’s meeting schedule for the year. And again on the town website’s community calendar. And again when residents were reminded of the date change at the board’s April 7 meeting.

Based on that information, several residents made plans to attend the April 28 meeting and address the board during public comment, only to learn at the last minute that the meeting would be a work session and they wouldn’t be allowed to address the board on issues that concerned them.

Who was responsible for the change? Supervisor Lachterman as the leader of the Town Board? Or did the supervisor abdicate that responsibility to someone else? The change from regular to work session was never presented to the full Town Board, let alone sanctioned by a board vote.

In hindsight, I apologize to residents for not catching the meeting change when I reviewed the tentative agenda on Monday. If I had, I would have insisted that the final agenda be changed to a regular meeting – with the opportunity for public comment.

Yorktown has a long established – and valued – tradition of giving its residents an opportunity to address their local officials at “regular” Town Board meetings. Don’t let them take that cherished opportunity away from you by allowing one official to unilaterally and arbitrarily change the type of meeting.

Susan Siegel is a member of the Yorktown Town Board.