Following the official closure of Boston City Council on March 16th, the weekly meeting was hosted virtually for the first time ever. Facing some technical difficulties with video and audio issues, the City Council meeting pressed forward with many representatives joining remotely.
“It is important that our work continue,” City Council President Kim Janey stated. “So we are going to do our meetings and our hearings virtually using technology.”
As the coronavirus pandemic remains at the forefront of conversation, City Councilors took a moment to thank the residents and workers of Boston for their resilience, and noted the many Bostonians who answered the call to help during this difficult time.
“I hear a lot of negative comments from the White House, unfortunately, calling this a Chinese virus. This is a worldwide epidemic and it’s impacting every person, it’s impacting every country. To scapegoat a certain ethnic group is racist and discrimination,” Councilor Ed Flynn (District 2) added, calling on Boston to come together during these unpredictable times.
Councilor Lydia Edwards (District 1) called on volunteers to join a citywide distribution of information regarding the coronavirus. Hosted by Mayor Marty Walsh, volunteers have been asked to assist in distributing material written in multiple languages to every home in Boston in order to ensure every resident is appropriately informed about the ongoing crisis.
A cancelled hearing previously scheduled to be held in two sessions on March 16th and 17th regarding the City’s preparedness for the coronavirus has been rescheduled for March 23rd, 2020 at 1pm. The hearing will be held virtually and public testimony is encouraged through Zoom.
In order to participate, contact shane.pac@boston.gov for a link to the Zoom meeting. Other ways of participation will be posted online prior to the start of the hearing.
