While most towns have gone back to in-person meetings, Lakewood remains virtual

LAKEWOOD – The last time the Lakewood Township Committee met in person Donald Trump was president, recreational marijuana was illegal in New Jersey, and there were only 11 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state.

That was March 5, 2020.

Since then, the governing body has only met virtually, with all meetings held via Zoom, requiring those who wish to speak to log on and wait their turn.

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Much has changed since 2020, but the township committee shows no signs of returning to in-person gatherings, officials said.

“It started with COVID and we realized that we actually get more participation this way than we were getting when it was live,” Mayor Ray Coles said. “People don’t have to come out in bad weather, we do it live and it is a reflection of the times."

Lakewood is an exception. Nearly all local governments statewide have returned to in-person meetings, with many offering both online access and person-to-person gatherings.

“For the governing body itself it’s unusual at this point,” Mike Cerra, executive director of the New Jersey League of Municipalities, said about Lakewood.“Most meetings are back to in-person, maybe with a hybrid component.”

While online-only meetings are rare these days, they are still legal, according to Lakewood Township Attorney Steven Secare, who cited State Code Sections 10:4-8.

The code defines a public meeting as “any gathering whether corporeal or by means of communication equipment, which is attended by, or open to, all of the members of a public body, held with the intent, on the part of the members of the body present, to discuss or act as a unit upon the specific public business of that body.”

“As long as it is open to the public and the public can call in and participate,” Secare said about the online approach. “Would you rather be in Lakewood on a rainy cold night or online doing it? We have had more participation. I think it opens up more dialogue and more discussion with more people.”

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But some government experts warn that the lack of in-person discussions and contact can exclude some people, especially those without online or internet access.

“We still have a population that does not have good access to the Internet and could be stymied from participating,” said Marc Pfeiffer, a senior policy fellow at the Bloustein Local Government Center for Urban Policy Research at Rutgers University. “Senior citizens who may not have access or not know how to Zoom. You do not want to cause a digital divide. If people do not have access, how are they able to participate in government?”

The U.S. Census reports that only 63% of Lakewood households had a broadband Internet subscription in 2021, the most recent data available, while 82% had a home computer. Statewide, 89% of households have a broadband internet subscription.

Pfeiffer said holding meetings online also risks technical problems, as well as online infiltration: “You should carefully consider the risks of meeting disruptions and make sure you balance the interests of people.”

But Coles said in today’s society residents have more options to reach out to elected officials beyond meetings, citing emails, texts and stopping them on the street.

“I get stopped in the aisles at Lowes all the time,” the mayor said. “We are out there 24/7 and someone’s problem can be addressed and solved before there is a public meeting to present it at.”

He claims there has been little opposition to the virtual approach.

“If people were upset we would know about it,” he said. “We go out and talk to folks and we are in contact with the public on a regular basis almost every day, part of my day is devoted to phone calls with residents.”

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The virtual meeting did spark one legal opposition when a local company filed suit to force the meeting back into township chambers in February.

But that case was dismissed, according to Jean Cipriani, an attorney hired to represent the township in the lawsuit.

“The reasoning of the court was based on the language of the open public meetings act,” she said.

Joe Strupp is an award-winning journalist with 30 years’ experience who covers education and several local communities for APP.com and the Asbury Park Press. He is also the author of three books, including Killing Journalism on the state of the news media, and an adjunct media professor at Rutgers University and Fairleigh Dickinson University. Reach him at jstrupp@gannettnj.com and at 732-413-3840. Follow him on Twitter at @joestrupp

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Lakewood says it sees benefits to keeping meetings virtual-only