More stonewalling, then vote for transparency

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Fort Schuyler Management Corp., the state-controlled development agency that is overseeing a number of major state-funded construction projects, including SolarCity, barred reporters from covering its board meeting Tuesday. Jim Heaney of Investigative Post tells Scott Levin about his experiences trying to obtain public records from Fort Schuyler.

The nonprofit development corporation subsequently voted to adhere to the state Open Meetings Law and its board chairman suggested it will adhere to the Freedom of Information Laws, as well, although no vote was apparently taken. The New York Committee on Open Government had previously said it was obliged to honor the FOI Law.

Investigative Post has lead the charge to make Fort Schuyler more transparent through a series of stories over the past year-and-a-half that can be found here, here and here. Investigative Post and WGRZ also filed suit against Fort Schuyler last year after it refused to release records requested under the FOI Law. The agency relented several weeks after the lawsuit was filed.