Brooklyn borough board backs law change to allow virtual and hybrid meetings, requests funding and safeguards

The Brooklyn Borough Board voted Wednesday to endorse revising New York State's Open Meetings Law to allow fully virtual and hybrid public meetings and to remove the statutory requirement that a quorum be physically present.

The resolution, presented by subcommittee chair Baptiste, urged the state legislature and governor to amend the law and asked the mayor and City Council to provide additional funding "to community boards for the purpose of expanding their capacity to fully support virtual and hybrid meetings," language the board later made more specific to include technology, staffing and resources.

Baptiste said the change would give local bodies flexibility for circumstances such as adverse weather, seasonal travel risks and public-health outbreaks, while keeping in-person meetings as the default. "It allows flexibility. If you cannot [attend in person], you can still participate electronically," he said.

Several members pushed for safeguards to prevent boards from becoming purely virtual. Member Witherspoon's amendment — adopted by the board — requires community boards to conduct at least half of their general board and committee meetings in person or as hybrid sessions. "We want to promote in-person engagement," Baptiste said in explaining the compromise.

Board members also raised accessibility concerns. Member Camacho asked whether remote attendees would count toward quorum and warned that some residents, particularly seniors, might be further isolated if meetings were held only online. A board member highlighted an ongoing accessibility problem at one meeting site, noting, "We have a board member, Miss Evelyn Pugh, who cannot get into the building because it's not ADA accessible," and asked how the board should proceed until funding for physical upgrades arrives. Staff replied that current law often precludes counting remote accommodations toward quorum and that amending the law would allow remote participation as a reasonable accommodation when appropriate.

The transcript shows the board adopted the resolution as amended by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the proceedings. The adopted language asks state and city officials to amend the Open Meetings Law, remove the in-person quorum requirement for hybrid meetings, and allocate funds to help community boards implement virtual and hybrid meeting capacity.

The board also outlined that any use of virtual meetings should include sufficient public notice and justification in advance and left room for each board to adopt more detailed bylaws or rules about when remote participation is appropriate.

The item will be transmitted as the borough board's position to the relevant state and city officials. The meeting adjourned after the vote.