Public Meetings in a Pandemic

May 7, 2020

As part of the American Planning Association’s 2020 virtual conference – NPC20 @Home, Jennifer Bragar presented on California, Oregon, and Washington’s responses to the pandemic in relation to public meetings, public participation, and land use hearings. In connection with the presentation, Jennifer wrote the “The West Coast’s Flexible Approach to the Open Meeting Laws in a Pandemic” available here. The article explores the legal landscape, electronic meetings in practice, and how to avoid legal pitfalls. This article examines inclusivity in electronic participation for elected officials, applicants, and interested members of the public. The new practice may well outlive the current emergency.

2,000 people attended the virtual panel presentation. APA members who missed the session can listen to a recording through APA’s website: https://learn.planning.org/local/catalog/view/product.php?globalid=LRN_NPC20_COL.