Village Community Board Closes Office, Will Hold Virtual Meetings

WEST VILLAGE, MANHATTAN — Lower Manhattan's community board has closed its office and will hold meeting online instead of in-person during the coronavirus pandemic, its chair and district manager announced.

Community Board 2, which extends from Chinatown to the West Village, said Monday that it will suspend all in-person meetings until further notice and instead conduct them virtually. The first meeting to be held online will be this Thursday's full board meeting, Chair Carter Booth and District Manager Bob Gormley said.

"We are living in a new age that is going to bring many changes in the coming months," they wrote online. "Information continues to change daily and hourly regarding the COVID-19 Pandemic."

The online meetings come as the community board closes its Washington Square Village office to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. The board staff will work remotely and continue their office functions.

The virtual meetings will be done under Gov. Andrew Cuomo's executive order to relax the state's open meetings law to allow local governments to conduct business without risking the speed of the virus.

Community Board 2 plans to post details on how to join the meeting on Thursday afternoon to the calendar tab on their website. Public testimony, input and comments on agenda items can still be submitted in advance to their email at info@cb2manhattan.org, the board said.

Community Board 2 is one of several community boards in New York City that have closed office, cancelled or held off on meetings as officials advise New Yorkers to stay at home during the coronavirus outbreak.

So far, New York City has seen 923 cases of the coronavirus as of Wednesday morning and 10 deaths, according to Mayor Bill de Blasio. The city is in a state of emergency and de Blasio is considering a shelter-in-place order.