OXFORD - Representatives of the Village of Oxford Board of Trustees clarified Friday that the board meetings are open to the public but are limited to four and five attendees due to health and limited space concerns.

Contrary to what other village officials had said earlier in the week and what had been posted on the village website - in the official minute meetings, the board meetings are not closed to the public.

Responding to an Evening Sun article that ran Thursday highlighting a closed meeting notice, the village of Oxford mayor contacted the paper to explain that meetings were open.

According to Village of Oxford Mayor Terry Stark, the budget meeting held in mid-April was open to the public, like other board meetings, but that there was limited availability due to the coronavirus and social distancing guidelines. He said the same applied to a hearing the board had before passing the budget.

However, in the village’s March board meeting minutes it states, “There was no public access due to Covid-19. Only Board Members gathered for the monthly meeting. There were no department heads or vendors.”

Other village officials who spoke to the Evening Sun earlier in the week also had the impression the meetings were closed to the public.

Stark said the public is allowed to attend the meetings, and that the village is currently exploring the different ways additional members of the public could attend the meetings if more individuals were interested in attending.