Town of Black Mountain turns to virtual meeting platform to allow public access

April aldermen meeting to be held online amid COVID-19 crisis

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
April 12, 2020

The Town of Black Mountain is turning to modern technology in an effort to allow public access to government meetings, as social distancing measures persist to slow the spread of COVID-19. 

With the town hall closed to the public, the board of aldermen will hold its regular monthly meeting at 6 p.m., Monday, April 13, when the proceedings will be hosted on the virtual meeting platform Zoom. 

Town clerk Angela Reece hosted a mock meeting on the platform, without elected officials, April 8, and invited citizens to participate. The move was intended to allow the town and the public to prepare for the upcoming board meeting. 

“This is unprecedented and significant, especially since it’s happening all over the state,” Reece said of the need to balance social distancing and public access to government business. “It’s a historical event in our town because whoever takes part in this meeting will be participating in something that has never been done here before.”

Codified as Article 33C in Chapter 143 of the state’s General Statute, N.C. Open Meetings Law requires municipalities to allow public access to open meetings. The Town of Black Mountain canceled all board and commission meetings for at least 30 days upon declaring a state of emergency, March 12, however, the regular monthly meeting of its governing board is considered essential business, according to Reece. 

The Town opted to host the aldermen meeting on the virtual platform to allow as much access as possible. 

“We are required to provide reasonable access to the public,” Reece said. “With this virus creating a situation where social distancing is required, it might not be reasonable for everyone to be able to access the meeting on the internet. We opted to use Zoom because it has the capability of letting people watch a video if they have internet access, or to dial in and listen, using any telephone.”

The Town is providing two toll-free phone numbers to support the listen-only option. Citizens can hear the meeting by dialing 1-877-853-5247 or 1-888-788-0099 and utilizing Meeting ID: 286912434.

To join the meeting using a computer or device, those wishing to attend will need to download the free Zoom application and enter the same Meeting ID number. Reece will open the meeting at 5:30 p.m. to assist users who are unfamiliar with the platform. 

Citizen comments can be emailed to comments@townofblackmountain.org or called in to the town clerk (828-419-9310) prior to the meeting. Comments and questions can also be submitted to Reece through the “chat” feature of the Zoom application. 

The Town charter gives Mayor Don Collins the authority to alter meeting arrangements, according to Reece. 

“(Black Mountain) was one of the municipalities in Buncombe County that agreed to follow the Stay Home, Stay Safe order, which limits gatherings to under 10 people,” she said. “Even though we’re an essential business, we can’t enforce that order on the public without abiding by it ourselves.” 

The board, mayor, town attorney, town manager and town clerk will conduct the meeting in the boardroom, but inviting the public to attend would not allow for the implementation of proper social distancing measures, according to Reece.

“It is the responsibility of the Town to protect the well-being of our citizens,” she said. “So we are doing all that we can do to create a safe environment while allowing public access.”

Collins will address the town amid the global public health crisis to open the meeting, which will be formatted to fit the virtual platform. 

“We will have the agenda up on the screen, so people will have the ability to view the agenda or the meeting room,” Reece said. “We’re also asking staff to explain things more than they normally would, so we can help familiarize people with the process.”

No public hearings are on the agenda for the meeting. Among the three items listed under new business is an “Emergency Telework Policy,” which would allow certain Town employees to work from home during an emergency like the COVID-19 pandemic. 

A discussion and possible approval of a policy supporting remote meetings in emergency situations is likely to be added to the agenda during the meeting. 

Black Mountain Digital Media will record the April 13 meeting, which will be made available to members of the public who are unable to attend on the Buncombe County Government YouTube channel within 24-48 hours after its conclusion.