Covid Chronicles. Chapter 8: Dane County Board of Supervisors Goes Virtual

 

Read chapter 7 here

Friday, March 20 

 Governor Evers’ ban on groups of 10 or more put the kibosh on yesterday evening’s in-person meeting of the Dane County Board. With 37 members, we are way over that limit. Prior to this directive, though, county board office staff worked with the county’s IT department for nearly a week to develop a plan to allow the board, as well as standing committees, to meet virtually, working on the theory that the pandemic is going to get much worse before it gets better. By Tuesday, the day Evers implemented the ban, it was ready for a test run. To participate, each member had to download the GoToMeeting app and log in with a password emailed to us, a straightforward, simple process. During the test, chair Analiese Eicher and chief of staff Karin Peterson Thurlow led us through the basics of the software: how to unmute and mute the microphone icon, how to use the chat feature, the format of Thursday’s meeting (roll call, making motions, speaking on an issue, taking testimony from the public facilitated by a call-in feature, voting. Needless to say, members had many questions and experienced frequent glitches. Which was anticipated. The test run was an opportunity to familiarize us with the software by using it in a group setting. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any audio until nearly the end of the session. Changing a setting allowed the audio to be broadcast through my iPhone. I’ve used the GoToMeeting app in other settings — South Central Library System board meetings, notably — and was never required to use two devices to participate fully. 

 A follow-up test session on Wednesday evening went more smoothly. I connected 15 minutes early, just in case I experienced any technical difficulties. I didn’t. 

 During both test sessions, my laptop screen reminded me of an expanded version of the tic-tac-toe opening of the “Brady Bunch” or the set of “Hollywood Squares”. Except for the fact that some of the squares were dark since less than half of the supervisors used the camera function. 

Last night we managed to start the meeting promptly at 7:00. Every member made an effort to log in early, just in case something went wrong. The biggest problems started after the call to order, when the icon to unmute and mute the microphones frequently became unresponsive to clicks. The roll call took nearly 5 minutes to complete. Ordinarily, we breeze through it in about a minute. The two members of the public who called in to speak just wanted to rant about the jail. Analiese quickly disconnected them when it became clear they weren’t focused on the agenda item under consideration. Forty or so members of a local advocacy group planned to attend the meeting in person until the pandemic mucked up their plans. Thank you, Coronavirus. It would have been the third time in my county board career when a meeting was disrupted by unruly, chanting protesters. Both incidents rank at the top of my list for ‘worst experience ever’ as an elected official. Fortunately, it’s a very short list. 

I needn’t be concerned about a replay as I have just one meeting left. And unless Trump gets his miracle, it’s going to be another virtual meeting. 

I feel as though I’m going out on a whimper.