The evolving health crisis caused by COVID-19 has rapidly impacted our region in myriad ways, including the way in which local government is conducted.
Just a few weeks ago, municipal officials gathered in public places and held board meetings with a physical audience. Earlier this month, however, Gov. Charlie Baker issued an emergency order temporarily changing the state’s Open Meeting Law.
For the foreseeable future, state and local government officials will hold public meetings via telephone conference, online meeting services, social media or other internet streaming methods.
For many towns including Orange, which recently declared a state of emergency, this will mean holding meetings via public access television with an option to phone-in concerns during the public comment portion. Non-essential items of discussion can be rescheduled.
“We intend to do everything we can so that people know what we are doing and business continues as usual,” said Orange Selectboard Vice Chair and Board of Health member Jane Peirce.
In that town, Athol Orange Television regularly records meetings for public viewing when members get together, but Peirce said she did not know if the television service was able to stream a video-chat conference where members participate from remote locations for public viewing. Undoubtedly, navigating these changes will be an evolving process for area towns and cities.
So far, the governor’s order has been met positively by municipal employees.
“The temporary modification is great because it allows for municipal business and committees to continue for now,” said Greenfield City Clerk Kathryn Scott, who noted there’d been concern about what to do before the order was made.
Notably, all other Open Meeting Law requirements, including postings and having a quorum, are still in effect. The order is applicable to meetings of public bodies such as commissions, boards and committees that engage in policymaking at the state and local levels. It does not apply to Town Meetings or judicial and quasi-judicial hearings.
But while this contingency might be necessary to prevent COVID-19’s spread — government health officials have warned it’s much more contagious than the flu, and there is no vaccine — there are some problems that could arise.
Technology is a double-edged sword.
On the one hand, it allows people to communicate face-to-digital-face without leaving their living rooms. At the same time, it has a learning curve and doesn’t always work properly. In recent years, for example, broadband access has been a serious problem for Franklin County. Some constituents won’t be able to access live streams at all. The challenge of learning a new digital program may be an insurmountable barrier for others.
This puts the onus on public access television organizations, which might not be equipped for these stringent circumstances, and public officials — who might be facing similar problems themselves — to educate their constituents on the use of streaming platforms and to get the word out in a timely fashion. Given the frenzied nature of COVID-19 emergency measures and the increased burden that has been placed on the backs of local governments in recent days, that’s a big ask.
Of course, health emergency or not, a municipality’s business must be conducted in a timely manner. And, schools closing, businesses shuttering and individuals working from home, it’s more important than ever that public officials create meaningful avenues of communication for their constituents.
The governor’s order raises an important topic for discussion at an opportune time.
This week is Sunshine Week, an annual initiative during which newspapers across the country publish editorials promoting the importance of open access to public meetings and information. At a normal time, it’s vital for the health of our democracy that public officials maintain transparency in their conduct.
Now, more than ever, as public meetings temporarily evolve into a digital format, it’s imperative that our leaders place the public good above themselves through their actions.
Decisions and actions that are made now, both ethical and unethical, will reverberate in the annals of our nation’s history.