SPRINGFIELD — With the pandemic winding down, Springfield is taking steps to see that one of the consequences of the lockdown — municipal meetings held remotely over the internet — will continue.
Mayor Domenic Sarno, in consultation with City Council President Jesse Lederman, issued an executive order that allows city boards and committees to hold remote meetings if necessary.
At the start of the pandemic in 2020, Massachusetts amended its Open Meeting Law to allow remote meetings. The legislation allowing it was intended to be temporary for the duration of the pandemic and is expected to expire on Friday. Both the House and Senate are working on extensions that would allow remote meetings to continue into 2023, but differences between the House and Senate versions need to be hammered out.
Sarno’s order means Springfield bodies would continue to be able to offer remote meetings for committee and board members, and for the public, when necessary. If a board wishes to meet in person, that is permissible too.
A statement from Sarno’s office says the order is issued to continue to promote and encourage participation in governmental meetings by members of the public and is in accordance with the regulations from the state attorney general.
“As we continue to move our Springfield forward out of this COVID-19 pandemic, we must remain cognizant of the fact that at any time a surge or uptick in COVID-19 (cases) could hinder our ability to hold in-person meetings,” Sarno said. “As such, I am issuing this executive order allowing remote participation for members of all municipal bodies for public meetings. My administration wishes to continue to promote and encourage participation in governmental meetings while also allowing municipal bodies to return to in-person meetings whenever possible.”
Lederman said the pandemic presented many challenges, not the least of which was local governance.
“Virtual meetings allowed the City Council to continue much of our work throughout the pandemic and presented new opportunities for public engagement,” he said. “As we prepare for a return to in-person meetings, we recognize the importance of virtual flexibility in the case of future emergencies, and as a potential tool to promote public engagement.”
He said he is working with Sarno and with Focus Springfield “to begin putting in place the policies and infrastructure to make this possible.”
Ward 2 Councilor Michael Fenton said remote access and participation for government agencies and the public expands transparency and accountability among the public.
He said interest in the City Council has grown over the last seven years since it started livestreaming its meetings, public speak-outs and subcommittee meetings.
“We then enabled complete remote participation when forced to do so by the COVID-19 pandemic. As we emerge from the worst days of the pandemic, we will adapt with a hybrid model,” he said. “As we navigate the waters of future remote participation, we will remain committed to the good government values of expanding transparency and accountability.”
Lederman said many of the specifics will be discussed at Thursday’s General Government Committee meeting, which will be carried over Zoom, but the plan is to have enough flexibility to allow remote access indefinitely.
Ad Choices