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Date: 7/29/2022
SPRINGFIELD – The City Council discussed a remote participation policy in their first in-person meeting since 2020 during their July 18 meeting. The council continued to meet remotely over the last two years after the advent of the coronavirus pandemic.
Mayor Domenic Sarno announced an executive order on July 13 authorizing remote participation for members of all municipal bodies for public meetings. The order also supported the establishment of in-person meetings, as well as providing the council an opportunity to establish their own remote participation policy.
On a state level, Lt. Gov Karyn Polito, acting while Gov. Charlie Baker was on vacation, signed legislation on July 16 to extend remote participation until March 31, 2023. The bill was originally passed by the state house and senate on July 14.
City Council President Jesse Lederman highlighted the council’s new potential policy as the body met in-person and partially remote over Zoom. He explained that the policy would make all regular City Council meetings and hearing meetings resume to their pre-coronavirus pandemic capacity in the council’s chambers starting in August. Members of the council can still participate remotely in emergency cases.
“Members of the body are expected and encouraged to attend in-person. However, with the permission of the chair, they may participate remotely under certain circumstances,” said Lederman.
Councilors can also participate remotely for committee meetings with the new policy. Remote participation will remain a component of City Council meetings as community members can still participate remotely in public speak out sessions. Lederman expects committee meetings to eventually return to in-person operations.
“Once we find ourselves eventually back into the full spectrum of open meeting law [and] once the emergency order is expired, committee meetings at that time if they wanted to have a virtual component would be subject to that same requirement of a quorum,” said Lederman. The current open meeting laws are set to expire December 2023.
Lederman thanked Sarno for supporting the council through his executive order. He also highlighted the efforts of Focus Springfield as the council begins integrating remote participation with their return to in-person meetings. The councilor expressed promise with what the hybrid approach can achieve.
“I personally still see a great deal of value in our meetings in person having public deliberation…but I think we’ve also seen virtual participation can have value,” said Lederman.
City Councilors At-Large Tracye Whitfield and Justin Hurst inquired if the policy could become more flexible, especially for the council’s infrequent summer meetings.
“What I would like to see in some sort of permanent fashion is that we allow for the hybrid option during the summertime every year. I feel like as long as I’ve been in the council, we’ve been struggling to get enough numbers to actually have these [summer] meetings,” said Hurst.
Attorney Tom Moore explained that certain requirements of the new procedures, like having an in-person quorum, are tied to state regulations. Lederman also argued that it is “critical” that the council resumes in-person meetings, but said the virtual orders will allow for councils to participate remotely if need be.
The council ultimately voted 8-1 to further discuss the policy in a subcommittee meeting.