Geneva has unveiled new guidelines to demarcate public and private areas within City Hall, a move prompted after a self-proclaimed “First Amendment auditor” recorded unauthorized footage inside the building, resulting in a confrontation that was later shared on YouTube.
The said “auditor”, Daniel Warmus, known for his YouTube channel “Auditing Erie County” and for his recent incarceration related to the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, had filmed multiple spaces in City Hall without permission, according to the Finger Lakes Times.
This incident wasn’t the first with such “auditors”, City Manager Amie Hendrix told the Times, who said increased visits to government facilities, is believed by many to incite confrontations to boost their online profiles.
Adopting a policy modeled on Ontario County’s approach, Geneva has designated spaces in all city buildings into three categories: Public Forums, Limited Access Public Forums, and Non-Public Forums/Private Spaces.
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