Public comment via Zoom doesn’t work out well for Riverhead Town

A technology glitch or human error prevented residents from making comments during the Riverhead Town Board meeting yesterday.

Several people report logging into the Zoom meeting using the meeting ID and password provided by the town but were never given access to the meeting by the meeting host.

The town had announced the public would be given the opportunity to comment via telephone during the meeting’s open comment portion, following the board taking up the resolutions on the agenda.

Residents said they were in the “waiting room” for the meeting but were never granted access.

Riverhead Police Chief David Hegermiller, who set up the Zoom meeting with the police department’s IT person, said during the the town board meeting there was no one in the Zoom meeting waiting room. Town board members expressed surprise that no members of the public were on Zoom waiting to speak.

In an interview after the town board meeting, he reiterated there was no one in the waiting room. “It was activated,” Hegermiller said. “We were in the waiting room.”

The chief said he wasn’t sure what went wrong.

“Next time I’ll make sure it’s tested,” Hegermiller said. “Someone will call in from the office.”

A few members of the EPCAL Watch group said they’d called in and were waiting to be allowed to address the board.

John McAuliff of Riverhead said he tried to access the meeting to comment but had no luck. “I dialed in twice, gave the meeting ID and was put on hold saying “the meeting has not started.”

“We have had enough problems with Zoom that I am sympathetic,” McAuliff said. “It is helpful to do a test run before using it.”

Mark Haubner of Aquebogue, said he called the phone number published by the town just before 2 p.m. and listened to “on-hold music” and an announcement that “the host has not started the session.” The system never asked him for a password, he said, but did ask if he were the host.

“My 5-year-old grandson is taking classes on Zoom,” attorney Ron Hariri of Aquebogue said. “It’s not reassuring that between the millions in town salaries, including those officials responsible for public safety, they can’t manage a remote meeting,” he said. “And they had months to figure it out while they are staying home and getting paid.”

Kelly McClinchy of Manorville said she wanted to address the supervisor and town board about water issues in her community. She said she tried twice to enter the waiting room but received messages saying the meeting had not started. The host did not open the waiting room, she said.

“It’s really kind of embarrassing,” Councilwoman Jodi Giglio said today. “This should have been figured out and tested,” she said.