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Restart Montco - effective Virtual Meetings
Going Virtual In Our New Reality
Even though we are moving through our reopening stages and the stay-at-home order is being lifted, the traditional face-to-face meeting is still not always possible. How then do municipalities continue to do business when so much of that business involves public meetings? Avoiding public meetings could mean project delays, missed funding opportunities, and a perceived lack of transparency among residents. While some municipalities might find the idea of holding public meetings virtually to be daunting, there are meeting apps available and benefits that should be considered.
Resources
Websites*
- Go To Meeting
Webinar and online conference software (also known as Go to Webinar) - Zoom
Software for video conferencing, webinars, and video meetings - Pennsylvania General Assembly
Provides Act 15 of 2020, which enables municipalities to hold online meetings, and provides guidance. - A Guide to Virtual Public Meetings during COVID-19
Highlights some of the software and services available for holding public meetings online - The Sunshine Act and the Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Presents an advisory from the PA Office of Open Records on adhering to the Sunshine Act during the pandemic - Pennsylvania’s Office of Open Records
Provides answers to frequently asked questions on Pennsylvania’s Sunshine Act (Open Meetings Law) - MindTools
Offers pointers on how to run effective virtual meetings - Granicus
Serves as a source for local governments looking to hold online meetings
Articles
- What It Takes to Run a Great Virtual Meeting
Provides a 12-step program to great virtual meetings - This Isn’t What We Planned For
Presents local government operations during COVID-19 from a planning perspective - Archived - Moving Planning Commission Meetings Online During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Big-City Perspective
Discusses how to continue with planning commission and other board meetings to keep communities moving forward
Webinars
- Archived - Moving Planning Commission Meetings Online During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Big-City Perspective
- Zoom Support has several good ‘training’ videos on virtual meetings
- Webex Support has several good ‘training’ videos on youtube
- Go To Meeting has training videos on its website
*Websites for various meeting tools are provided as examples. MCPC does not endorse any one particular service.