NYC Pol Calls For Virtual Civic Meetings During COVID-19 Outbreak

NEW YORK, NY — Prompted by the coronavirus, a New York City lawmaker has introduced legislation that would prevent government from "grinding to a halt" by allowing virtual public meetings during public health crises.

The bill, introduced by Manhattan state Sen. Brad Hoylman, would allow public bodies usually subject to "Open Meetings Law" to use videoconferences instead of in-person meetings when there is an emergency situation, rather than canceling the meeting altogether.

The legislation was inspired by New York City community boards, who are struggling with whether to hold meetings at the risk of spreading the coronavirus, Hoylman said. Mayor Bill de Blasio put the city under a state of emergency for the outbreak, which had 95 confirmed cases in New York City as of Friday.

““Community leaders shouldn’t be forced to choose between canceling meetings and risking exposure of themselves and others to COVID-19," Hoylman said.

Hoylman, whose district stretches from the Village to Central Park, said that he worked with the executive director of the Committee on Open Government to ensure that the virtual meetings would not be abused by boards or councils that want to use it to avoid transparency.

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Under the law, public bodies would be required to notify the public about alternate means to monitor or participate in the meeting and would need to explain why an in-person meeting was not feasible. The exemption could only be used during a state declaration of emergency.

The bill would expire in 2022 so that the state legislature could evaluate whether it was effective or if they need to change it, Hoylman said.

It comes as many New York City institutions — including Broadway, New York libraries and several museums — have closed down to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Gov. Andrew Cuomo also announced this week that gatherings of 500 people or more would be banned in New York.

The open government legislation is the second bill Hoylman has introduced to address potential problems during the coronavirus outbreak. Earlier this month, the lawmaker introduced legislation that would stop price-gougingof hand sanitizer, face masks and other medical products during a health emergency.