City of Northville Urges Letter Writing Campaign to Support Remote Meetings
(Crystal A. Proxmire, Jan. 30, 2022)
Northville, MI – As Michigan goes back to in-person meetings, discussion about the pros and cons have been happening across the state. In January Oakland County Times wrote about the various opinions being shared. And today we’ve learned that officials in Northville are being proactive about the desire to have remote meeting attendance for officials.
Public bodies, like city councils, township boards, city commissions, library boards, school boards, etc. were able to meet remotely during the pandemic thanks to emergency bills that allowed it statewide.
The state legislature had been giving extension on emergency orders to allow meeting to be held remotely – which was generally done via Zoom – during the pandemic. But by allowing the orders to expire at the end of 2021, the rules go back to the status quo – in person except for officials who are on active duty in the military and are unable to attend in person.
Though the law is back to normal, the debate carries on for officials at all levels. In January, Oakland County Times attended a virtual discussion with Michigan Townships Association about the Open Meetings Act rules and what the return to in-person means for communities. We also talked with officials throughout Oakland County for their opinions on in-person vs. virtual – learning that this is a range of opinions and perspectives on the topic.
And now we’ve learned, through an email blast from the city, that at the request of City Council, Northville City Manager Pat Sullivan is encouraging citizens to send a letter to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and members of the State Legislature to request the option of conducting online meetings and still be in compliance with the state’s Open Meetings Act due to the rapidly spreading Omicron variant of COVID-19.
“As of Jan. 1, 2022, only in-person meetings, with optional live-streaming, are allowed for public bodies. This has put both council members and citizens at greater risk of contracting the virus,” the message said.
The city has developed a form letter that you can sign and send to the governor and legislators in support of the effort to resume online meetings. View the letter on the city website. Or you can create your own letter to send. When signing, also include your address.
The message also included contact information for the state elected officials that represent Northville. We reached out to State Representative Kelly Breen’s office, who told Oakland County Times that “We have received a number of emails regarding the request to allow virtual meetings. I have reached out to a colleague in the Legislature that sits on the committee for Government Operations which is where the Open Meeting Acts originally went through. What I have heard is that Governor Gretchen Whitmer is in talks with certain legislators trying to extend this timeline. They should reach a compromise in the near future I have been told. I am sorry I do not have more information for you, but I will let you know as soon as I do.”
Public bodies are able to have remote access for participants other than the officials themselves, and many cities continue to broadcast meetings via Facebook and You Tube type services, and many also allow presenters or those speaking in public comment to do so remotely. The debate is whether officials should be allowed to as well.
On the plus side, remote meetings can be more convenient. They can save time and expense, especially for county-wide and state-wide boards where traveling is more of an issue. They can be safer in dangerous weather, and when there is risk of illness. They can also be used by officials who might otherwise be traveling for business, on vacation – including the “snow-birds” – Michiganders who travel south for the winter.
In a 2021 plea to state legislatures, The Michigan Association of Conservation Districts argued that “the COVID-19 pandemic has been a paradigm shifting crisis for the entire world. As a society, we’ve collectively learned that many organizations, businesses, and governments can effectively function remotely; and in many cases function more efficiently. Moreover, this paradigm shift to remote meetings has actually made public meetings more accessible for Michiganders with physical disabilities or transportation barriers that would otherwise prevent them from attending in-person public meetings.”
However remote meetings can make discussions more tedious, especially when technical difficulties arise. And they can take away some of the ebb and flow of conversation that happens in an in-person setting.
Internet connection speed and stability can cause problems, with one mayor even telling Oakland County Times of a meeting where three officials lost service during a remote city council meeting.
To read what officials had to say about their experiences, check out our Jan. 25 article “Debate Continues as Public Bodies Resume in Person Meetings.”
As technology changes and as more members of the public find themselves engaging online, the topic is not likely to disappear. Oakland County Times will continue following along to see how things work out.
For more resources on virtual and remote meetings during the pandemic, visit: