Experience has demonstrated that the Zoom meetings format for virtual and hybrid City meetings is far superior to the webinar format currently in use for many Newton meetings.
This webinar format does not allow one to see fellow citizens who are in attendance, nor does it allow one to see who has raised their hand to speak nor the order in which people have raised their hands.
The Zoom meetings format, on the other hand, permits us to see our friends and neighbors who have also chosen to attend a meeting. It promotes a very important sense of community and collaboration in city government. In public hearings, Zoom allows us to view individuals as they speak, which is much more impactful than the webinar format. It also allows communication between attendees, which can be helpful in providing feedback, as well encouragement of a variety of viewpoints in people’s comments to the Zoom attendees as a whole.
While there have been a few incidents of “zoom-bombing” in the past, there are multiple ways to prevent and/or curtail any attempts to disrupt meetings.
The webinar format is being assessed through May. In the interests of transparency and communication, it should be rejected in favor of the more user-friendly Zoom meetings format. If you agree, please let your City Councilors and the Mayor know.
Anne Goldbach
Newtonville