LA County BOS Virtual Board Meetings

About the Program

Category: Civic Education and Public Information (Best in Category)

Year: 2021

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and closure of County facilities, the Executive Office of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors ceased to hold in-person Board meetings and was faced with identifying a virtual conferencing solution. In response, the Executive Office successfully developed and implemented virtual, live-streamed Board meetings, with computer and mobile device interfaces, to provide the County’s constituents virtual access to Board meetings, including the ability to listen only or provide verbal testimony. Additionally, a user-friendly, web-based public comment (e-public comment) form was developed for the public to easily submit public comments when the Board’s weekly agenda is posted, along with supporting documents, which are made available to the Board Offices and the public as they are received. These new options allow constituents to continue to provide valuable input and provide the Board of Supervisors an effective and transparent way to perform its duties in these critical times. These changes have also enhanced public access significantly. For instance, written comments per meeting have increased from an average of less than 50 to over 6,200, expanding the County’s web presence., with an efficient platform utilized across various County meetings under the purview of the Executive Office to connect the Board of Supervisors to the public.