NEWBURGH – A few months ago, most people never heard of the meeting website “Zoom” and now it is a household word.
As the state, nation, and world face the coronavirus pandemic, in-person municipal meetings have been shelved and now they are being held via Zoom or other platforms and over conference telephone calls.
Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress President Jonathan Drapkin said the new meeting platform must include all the components of an in-person session.
‘According to the New York State Bar Association and the Committee on Open Government, towns, cities, villages may convene public meetings virtually. That includes town boards, planning boards, zoning boards, as long as the public has an opportunity to be present virtually,” he said.
There must also be a mechanism for the public to participate by email, online postings or by phone.
The purpose of the virtual meetings is to keep people separated to avoid the further spread of the coronavirus.
