Open meetings for all: New York government must move to ensure that video public access stays in place
From the earliest days when we still called it coronavirus, the value of live, remote communication, from Zoom to Skype to FaceTime to Teams to Meet to just a plain old phone hook-up, has been a tremendous innovation. Work, school, doctor appointments, religious worship services, even birthday parties and other once in-person gatherings went online, probably billions of times.
And one of the useful innovations has been full citizenry access to government meetings. In New York, online participation for the public and for members of bodies from legislatures to Community Boards to all kinds of panels and commissions, has been allowed by monthly emergency orders from the governor since March 2020. But under a new law passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Hochul, joining a public meeting via video changes on June 9.
As of that date, video participation will only be allowed “under extraordinary circumstances,” which is broadly defined to include “disability, illness, caregiving responsibilities, or any other significant or unexpected factor or event,” furthermore, each entity that wants this option must formally adopt a resolution, or it can happen through a local law.
Since New York City’s vast government has a huge number of commissions and boards and tribunals that all have public meetings, a single city-wide law on video access from the City Council would be the simplest step, but the Council isn’t looking at that. Rather the Council is focusing on making its own meetings accessible.
There’s some logic against a one-size-fits-all approach, but also a risk that some of the myriad agencies won’t do what is needed. Take, for instance, the Rent Guidelines Board. Their preliminary vote this month was online, impacting the rents of 2 million rent-stabilized tenants, but after June 9, everything goes back to in-person only, including two hearings to accept public testimony (one in Queens and one in the Bronx) and their final vote. That makes zero sense. If the RGB isn’t going to have a hybrid or remote option, the Council must impose one on them.
