For over a year, members of the public have joined local city council meetings virtually, using phones, Zoom and other teleconference systems to participate in public meetings and make public comments. While virtual meetings now feel like second nature for many, they are a somewhat new concept for municipal government meetings. Under the Brown Act, officials and members of the public must be physically present at a meeting in order to participate. But, Gov. Gavin Newsom waived this requirement via a March 2020 executive order at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Newsom's order also authorized local government bodies to hold their public meetings virtually.