APA-RI Continues to Advocate for Amendments to Emergency Orders The Open Meetings Act (OMA) Emergency Order was extended on April 15, 2020. While it is largely the same, the update removes the language that virtual meetings are allowed only for "essential purposes," meaning municipalities can use virtual platforms for whatever they please. Unfortunately, the extension does NOT address our recommendations related to planning and zoning deadlines. We will continue to advocate for this!
Recorded webinar: Virtual Public Meetings in RI: What's Working (and What Isn't)
Updates and Useful Information: Zoom for Public Meetings Implementation Plan from the State of RI Recommendations for remote participation from Common Cause RI Questions and answers from Virtual Meetings webinar 3-31-20 Boston MPO Guidance for Virtual Meetings
Municipal Guidance for Virtual Meetings: Town of East Greenwich City of Providence Town of South Kingstown South Kingstown sample agenda for a virtual meeting
Guidance from APA National: APA Covid-19 Resources Equity in Virtual Public Engagement
Guidance from the Attorney General’s Office: Follow this LINK to a quick guide and FAQs on modifications to the Open Meetings Act (OMA) and the Access to Public Records Act (APRA) from the AG's Office. Remember that the AG's Open Meetings staff are available to help with any questions! Open Meetings Resources and Considerations: RI League of Cities and Towns Follow this LINK to a summary of Open Meetings resources and considerations that the League has shared with affiliate members. This will continue to evolve, so please note the date and time at the top as new iterations are shared. Recorded webinar: "COVID-19 and the Legal Landscape" Did you miss the webinar on Zoom software and using Roberts Rules for remote meetings? Here is the link to the video.
Rhode Island Planners Listserv: While it's been dormant for quite some time, we DO have a Rhode Island Planners Listserv. This is a place where we can share ideas with one another as we all go through the trial and error of figuring out this new landscape. Are you testing out new online participation platforms? Do you have questions for your colleagues in other communities or helpful tips? Please sign up and share here: https://groups.google.com/d/forum/ri-planners