SE Oakland News

Local Michigan governments are adapting to virtual meetings as they continue to work and offer community participation during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order in March, which allowed local governments to continue working virtually as long as members of the public could still have access to these meetings and participate.  

The Oakland County Board of Commissioners was the first state body to try the new approach, according to Oakland County Times.

“In planning to meet remotely, we took extraordinary steps to maximize public participation, were able to conduct important county business and modeled and practiced social distancing – something we all need to do to address the COVID-19 pandemic,” Board Chairman David Woodward (D-Royal Oak) told Oakland County Times. “Our experience can serve as a model for other local governments to ensure transparency and openness during this emergency.”

Many other local governments followed Oakland County's model after their first virtual meeting, according to Oakland County Times. 

In Ferndale, government meetings have been taking place over Zoom, a video platform that shows each participant's camera on the screen, according to Oakland Times. Ferndale Mayor Melanie Piana said it has been a learning experience. 

“It’s been a rapid learning curve for all elected officials. So far, I observe everyone is adapting including Ferndale,” Piana told Oakland County Times. “During the virtual meetings, my new practice is to walk through and explain the procedures before each public comment or call to the audience period.  We’re all learning and getting better at virtual meetings together."

Local officials also have guidelines from the Michigan Municipal League (MML), an organization the serves local governments, according to Oakland County Times. These guidelines  offer advice on how to conduct virtual meetings and remind officials of the requirements for hosting the electronic meetings, the Oakland County Times reported. 

Some of those requirements are: members of the public must be able to participate, there needs to be two-way communication, no registration will be necessary, there has to be chat capabilities and a notice of the meeting must be given to the community, according to Oakland County Times. 

The MML also suggests minimizing disturbances like dogs, checking surroundings before a meeting, knowing internet speeds and checking the lighting, the Oakland County Times reported.