By Justin Leitgeb

Public meetings for local governments are quickly being moved online in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Once a telecommunications tool is chosen for these meetings (Zoom is currently a popular platform for this purpose), our responsibility is to make sure that that communication quality is sufficient for these meetings to be effective.

As the owner of a software consulting company and a software engineer, my work is largely remote - long before the current crisis, my schedule included 4-6 virtual meetings every morning. Over the past few weeks, in response to COVID-19 I have also managed the transition of our in-office staff of about 35 people to fully remote work, partly using Zoom for teleconferencing. Based on my experience, here are my recommendations to public officials and municipal staff to make sure that they are prepared to effectively participate in remote public meetings:

  • A test run using the same teleconferencing tools planned for critical meetings should be considered mandatory for all public officials and municipal staff who are participating. This should be done as early as possible so that there is time to adjust equipment and connections. All members who have not previously used video conferencing in a professional capacity should test their connections with someone who is experienced with video conferencing, and who can evaluate their connection in terms of audio and video quality.
  • All participants should run a speed test of their connection well in advance of using those connections for public meetings. This should be conducted from the same place in your house as you intend to hold the public conference, since WiFi signals (if you are not using a hard-wired connection to your network) vary. Our software company had results of individual speed tests evaluated by a systems engineer on staff (with follow-up for anyone who had a connection that did not meet certain standards) - you could do the same if you have a systems administrator who can review the results. Otherwise I would recommend using the Google speed test which will automatically evaluate the results. It should say that your connection can support audio and video calls. I got this message, “Your Internet connection should be able to handle multiple devices streaming HD videos, video conferencing, and gaming at the same time.” If your results do not say that the connection can support a video conference you should take corrective action, which may begin with calling your Internet Service Provider.
  • Our company requires the use of headsets for all videoconferences, rather than microphones that are built into laptops and desktops, and I would strongly recommend that all mandatory participants of remote public meetings use headsets. This reduces echo and increases audio quality considerably. Apple EarPods and AirPods can work. If you are using EarPods with a cord the microphone is on the cord and you should hold it close to your mouth when speaking. Over the last several years we have purchased dozens of headsets for our staff for remote meetings, and we’ve found that there are many options for that work well and cost between $40 and $50. These can be found by Googling for “noise cancelling USB headset”.
  • Wearing a headset, but using the wrong audio input device (e.g., the built-in microphone on your computer) is the most common error that we find on our team which significantly reduces audio quality on the call for those who are meeting the basic requirements above. Make sure that you are familiar with how to change your audio input and output device, both using system preferences and settings in your chosen teleconference software.
  • Practice how to mute and un-mute your microphone. Always mute when not talking on the call.
  • Find a comfortable place to conduct the meeting in your home, that is ideally somewhat isolated from background noises. Let family members know when the meeting will happen and the expectations that you will be uninterrupted while the meeting is conducted.
  • Consider having everyone join the channel for important meetings five minutes before official business is to be conducted so that a technical check can be performed.
  • Decide on a protocol in advance if certain individuals are having technical problems at the start of the meeting. Do you help them and wait for them to resolve their issues (and for how long), reschedule immediately, or proceed without them?

Following these guidelines should help public officials and municipal staff to improve their ability to conduct business remotely, which is critical in order to be effective and instill public confidence in local government during the current public health crisis. If you have comments, questions or other suggestions please don’t hesitate to reach out.