BY PAUL MITCHELLNorth Country This Week

CANTON - In the wake of this year’s surprise audit by a First Amendment group that created friction at the St. Lawrence County Courthouse in June prompted the Canton Village Board on Wednesday night to pass a policy on access to and recording in non-public forums.

“The First Amendment folks caused a lot of problems at the county level,” stated Mayor Dalton.

A video of that audit can be found here.

Deputy Mayor Anna Sorensen, who authored the resolution, said the board had to take a look at spaces where people’s private information is there and make those spaces on-public unless invited.

The Town of Canton has also adopted a similar policy.

The resolution creates restrictions of access in non-public forums to protect the security and privacy of employee and taxpayer information.

“The Village is responsible for protecting the safety of employees, vendors, taxpayers and

general public. “The Village is responsible for protecting employees,’ taxpayers’ and the general public’s protected data.”

The adopted policy restricts access to, and recording in, the following non-public forums, without consent ahead of time.

The areas include Village Clerk’s Office, Behind the Public Counter, Village Police Department, Behind the Public Counter, Village Mayor’s Office, Village Code Enforcement Office, Village/Town Economic Developer’s Office,. Town Court’s Office, Village & Town Historian’s Office, Village Department of Public Works Buildings, and the Village/Town Recreation Director’s Office and Behind the Public Counter.

Signs will be posted noting either no public access beyond point and/or no recording allowed unless given consent ahead of time.

“No recording means no audio or visual recording, using cameras, phones, iPads, computers or any other electronic devices,” the policy reads.

“The responsibility for the policy lies with the Village Board. This policy will be reviewed during the annual Organizational meeting. Compliance or questions about the policy from employees, individuals, businesses, oversight agencies or others will be sent to the FOIL officer in writing using the FOIL form, or to the alternate FOIL officer in the FOIL officer’s absence.”