Best Of Both Worlds

As the East End slowly pokes its head out of the confines of the pandemic — with infection rates down, a growing number of people being vaccinated and the state easing restrictions on businesses — things are beginning to feel a little more like they used to be. (“Normal” might remain elusive for a little while.) It’s a welcome relief, as the community begins to glimpse the light at the end of the tunnel.

But while looking forward, a glimpse back over the past year to see what lessons can be learned from the pandemic — and there are a multitude — also is in order.

One takeaway that local lawmakers and school leaders should glean is that residents were excited to attend public meetings that were “broadcast” live over Zoom and other platforms — and they should continue to be into the future, even after the COVID walls are knocked down. Meetings that were traditionally sparsely attended prior to the pandemic saw scores of residents in attendance as they were livestreamed to the comfort of their homes.

The pandemic offered some residents a little more free time to attend public meetings. But the number of people attending the virtual sessions clearly demonstrated an interest and engagement in the process of how local government and school boards work. Meetings that typically have fewer than a handful of attendees in person saw virtual attendance, in some cases, of 20 to 30 residents — most of them concerned taxpayers.

East End residents live busy and full lives, both pre-pandemic and currently, and scheduling time to attend a live meeting of a town board, village board, planning board, school board or regulatory board can be difficult, even if there is an item, or several, of interest on that night’s agenda.

Having those meetings virtually offers a greater opportunity for discussion, and a chance to interact with elected and appointed officials. Any occasion in which the public can let their voices be heard should be fostered by the board members and administrations.

Of course, transitioning back to live meetings is an exciting prospect and should be encouraged, when it’s safe to do so. But continuing to livestream meetings, with the opportunity for those attending to offer comments or ask questions virtually, should become the norm.

These hybrid meetings, both live and livestreamed, will be the best of both worlds. Participation in any form should be strongly encouraged, now and in the future. We’ve now seen the two options — we should keep both.