The Law Department issued this Guidance Memo to all City Councilors regarding COVID-19 Measures and Open Meeting Law. According to the memo, “the legal requirement that public bodies must resume meeting in-person. Open Meeting Law will still allow remote participation of public body members, but only in limited circumstances.” With regard to public participation, the memo states that the Council “may continue to provide the public with the option to attend and participate in meetings remotely.” It goes on to add: “the agenda must provide both the physical location of the meeting as well as the virtual alternative. It is important for hybrid meetings that the level of public access and participation apply equally to individuals who attend in person and those joining remotely. For example, if a meeting is held in a room in City Hall with members of the public attending in person as well as via Zoom, and the chat function is turned on in the Zoom meeting, then members of the public attending in City Hall must be allowed a public comment period during the meeting.”