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DELMAR – The Bethlehem Planning Council resumed holding its public meetings virtually from last night’s forum on Tuesday, September 21.
“Due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and the Delta variant, the Bethlehem City Planning Council will hold its meetings via video conference / webinar and a transcript of the meeting will be provided at a later date,” said the council members in a statement on the city’s website on Tuesday, September 14. The statement added that the meetings would be open to the public through the city’s virtual meeting portal.
Since the board’s statement last week, the city’s Industrial Development Agency has also announced that it will return to virtual meetings.
The number of transmissions has increased, widely believed to be due to the Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus. Albany County has climbed into what the Center for Disease Control has called a significant transmission area, where 50 to 100 cases per 100,000, or a positivity rate of between 8 and 10 percent have been recorded.
The decision to pivot board meetings to the virtual platform came on the same day, Albany County Director Daniel McCoy shared sobering news about the number of transmissions of the virus In the region.
“Tragically, I must report that another resident of Albany County has lost his life to COVID, the second death in as many days. Unfortunately, there have now been 400 deaths since the start of the pandemic, and I offer my condolences to every family who has lost someone, especially those who are grieving today, ”said McCoy.
Between September 5 and 11, 458 new COVID infections were identified and analyzed by the county health department. Of these 458 cases, 218 were fully vaccinated, 205 were not and for 35 cases the vaccination status was unknown.
Among local patients hospitalized with the virus, McCoy said 71% are unvaccinated, 3% are partially vaccinated and 26% have been fully vaccinated.
On September 2, Governor Kathy Hochul signed a law extending virtual access to public meetings under the New York State Open Meetings Act, allowing local governments to hold public meetings virtually during the pandemic.
The legislation, which was first implemented by decree during the state of emergency last year. Last March, so-Gov. Andrew Cuomo allowed state and local government meetings to be held remotely, as long as the public could see or listen to the meeting and as long as the meeting was recorded and then transcribed.
This statutory change will reduce the need for congregation at public meetings as the Delta variant is prevalent, while ensuring the continuation of public affairs.
“Let’s be clear – the COVID-19 pandemic is not over, and I have heard government officials across the state worrying about their constituents’ inability to virtually access public meetings,” said Hochul. “This common sense legislation extends a privilege that not only helps New Yorkers participate safely in the political process, but also increases New Yorkers’ access to their government by providing more options for attending public meetings.” . This law will continue to strengthen the style of open and transparent government that we are committed to upholding in the Empire State. “
On March 12, 2020, Executive Order 202.1 suspended the portion of New York State law that required meetings to be held in person and allowed virtual public meetings to be held. On June 25, 2021, the state of disaster emergency ended, removing the provision suspending the law.
The schedule board will revert to the meeting broadcast on the Zoom virtual meeting platform, inviting visitors up to 30 minutes before the meeting start time. Similar to face-to-face meetings at Town Hall, public comment on regular agenda items is permitted during public hearings as well as during the public comment period at the start of the meeting.
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