HowTo: Facilitate a Legally-Compliant Virtual Public Meeting

With virtual public meetings likely here to stay, we’re offering five universal best practices to follow, including to-do checklists to help you prepare for your meeting.

Virtual public meetings are likely here to stay, whether by circumstance or choice. While some may see the forced conversion of in-person meetings online due to COVID-19 as an inconvenience, many are seeing the opportunities and benefits of going virtual. Whether your organization is muddling through or embracing the change, this article offers five universal best practices to follow, including to-do checklists to help you prepare for your meeting.

1.  Comply with open meeting and open record laws

Every state has its own statutes governing open meetings and open records, and we mustn’t forget to comply with these laws when going virtual. Open meeting laws protect the right of the public to be notified of and to observe the deliberations of public officials as they make decisions that form public policy. Open records are documents in the possession of a governmental entity that are supposed to be made available to members of the public on request. The laws vary by state, so make sure to check the specific requirements where you are conducting business. You will also want to verify which meetings and records are subject to the laws. It’s a given for regularly-scheduled meetings like city council and planning commission, but what about online open houses and community workshops? Informal Zoom staff meetings? Emails and social media posts?

TO-DO CHECKLIST:

• Ballotpedia provides information about open meeting and open record requirements by state and is a good starting point.
• Contact the City or County Clerk’s office or legal counsel where you conduct business to verify the specific requirements in that state.

2.  Your virtual meeting should be accessible to differently-abled people

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted in 1990 to ensure that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as those without. It prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, state and local government, public accommodations, commercial facilities, transportation and telecommunications. Specifically, Section 508 amending the Workforce Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires federal websites to be accessible to people who have disabilities that affect their hearing, vision or physical capacities. Government websites and electronic communications must follow this standard as well. The World Wide Web Consortium is an organization that develops standards and support materials to help others understand and implement accessibility. They provide free resources to make your websites, applications, and other digital creations more accessible and usable to everyone.

TO-DO CHECKLIST:

• Provide multiple ways for people with disabilities to participate, including written, verbal, and visual methods.
• Visit Section508.gov for help reviewing websites and electronic materials for ADA compliance.
• Ensure that your content follows Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.

3.  Ensure there is a low barrier to participate

In addition to ADA compliance, important accessibility considerations include digital equity and digital literacy. The gulf between those who have access to and the ability and willingness to use technology and the internet and those who do not is known as the “digital divide.” Research suggests that up to 42 million Americans do not have access to broadband internet. Even among those who do have access, the Pew Research Center reports that 10% of adults choose not to use the internet. Additional Pew research shows that while 96% of Americans own a cellphone, they might not own a smartphone. We cannot assume that because someone has internet access means they have the knowledge or willingness to install and use web meeting software like Zoom. They might also not have an unlimited data plan that allows them to stream content. Ideally your online meetings should function across a variety of platforms, operating systems, and devices.

TO-DO CHECKLIST:

• Consider how someone without internet service or a smartphone can participate in your online meeting, such as offering a way for people to call in with a landline. Most webinar tools provide this option.
• Avoid or provide alternatives to virtual meetings that require registration, a social media account, or installing special software. A Konveio Site is an excellent option!

4.  Take security and access control into consideration

In today’s digital world, online security is paramount. Nothing could undermine an online participation effort more than if attendees get computer viruses and/or the meeting gets hacked or “zoombombed.”

TO-DO CHECKLIST:

• Be careful of asking people to download potentially malicious software.
• Learn how to prevent your meeting from getting “zoombombed.”

5.  Follow the same rules you would for an in-person meeting

Many of the same rules for in-person meetings still apply such as providing proper notice, posting agendas in advance, providing ways for people to comment, keeping meeting minutes and recording comments, making the minutes and comments publicly accessible afterward, and recording the meeting so people can watch or listen to it later.

TO-DO CHECKLIST:

• See #1 and make sure you are complying with any open meeting or open record laws that govern noticing, meeting conduct, and record keeping.
• Provide a way for people to access the same materials that people would see in person, such as PowerPoint slides or poster boards. This is a breeze with Konveio!

Konveio is here to help

Konveio is an online platform that enables you to easily share information and collaborate with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders. It can be made into a separate website or embedded in your existing website. Konveio is easy to use for both internal staff and external stakeholders, and there is no software to learn or download.

KONVEIO ENABLES YOU TO:

• Replicate in-person meetings, workshops, and open houses.
• Upload a variety of documents such as poster boards, maps, and presentations for stakeholders to view and comment on.
• Allow users to simultaneously comment on the same document, see, and respond to each other's comments.
• Add interactive content like zoomable maps and videos.
• Quickly consolidate, analyze, and respond to comments.
• Create a password-protected workspace or allow anyone with the link to participate.

Konveio staff are also available to help you with your engagement challenges. Reserve a time slot at https://calendly.com/konveio.

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