Editorial: Keep the good rules from the state of emergency
The end of the Massachusetts state of emergency on June 15 was a welcomed relief throughout the commonwealth, and represented a milestone in our continued recovery from the coronavirus. Yet, that lifting of restrictions ended a handful of COVID-induced provisions, proven to be quite useful over the past 15 months and should have a life beyond the pandemic.
One case in point is the outdoor dining provision, where the state relaxed its regulations on how and where restaurants could offer seating on sidewalks, roadways and parking lots. The emergency provision was put in place in June 2020 when restaurants were allowed to reopen but could only use their indoor dining rooms under severely restricted capacity. Now, with those capacity restrictions gone, outdoor dining gives restaurants extra capacity and a nice amenity for guests. The more retail establishments interact with the streets and sidewalks around them, the more active the pedestrian foot traffic, bringing greater vitality and activity to retail settings. If the provision is made permanent, as Worcester is considering for sometime next year, restaurants will have extra incentive to invest in making those outdoor options more attractive.
Another important measure was the move of public government meetings to video conferencing platforms like Zoom. While this was done to limit unnecessary in-person interactions, a positive side effect was it became much easier for members of the public to watch and engage with their city councils, boards of education, boards of selectmen, planning boards, and other such entities, increasing public engagement by a wide margin. Even if the state returns to requiring an in-person quorum for meetings to officially happen - which does not feel necessary - these public gatherings should be required to use a mix of video conferencing and in-person interaction. Increased civic participation in public meetings has been one of the true silver linings.
Other measures instituted during the pandemic, including the broadening of mail-in voting, to-go cocktails from restaurants, authorization for notaries to do their work remotely, and others, are worth giving thoughtful consideration and debate. The Massachusetts legislature appears to be headed on the right path by extending these measures temporarily while considering permanent replacements.
The pandemic state of emergency – no matter what stage we were in – has been a difficult time for everyone. But the government, along with the state’s businesses, learned to adapt and innovate, protecting the public while attempting to minimize the economic and societal damage. Let's make sure we hold onto those provisions that worked and keep them in place.
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