At tonight’s Committee of the Whole Council Meeting, Council considered two options for resuming in-person meetings. Option 1 required all Councillors to be physically present in Council Chambers in Victoria Hall while Option 2 allowed some to participate via Zoom. Most Councillors supported Option 1 and were unhappy with Option 2 since there was no detail provided such as how many could be virtual, for what reasons and how often. Councillor Aaron Burchat said he might not be able to physically attend all budget sessions so preferred option 2. As well as Councillors, the Municipal Clerk, Deputy Clerk and Chief Administrative Officer would also be there. Other staff, Members of the Public and Delegates and Presenters would attend via Zoom. The meetings would continue to be live-streamed as now via escribe.
The same motion said that all Council Advisory Committees would use “Zoom Video Conferencing for the remainder of the Municipal Council Term or until Council provides further direction to return to in-person meetings”.
Here is the Motion that was passed:
THAT Council receive the Staff report from the Municipal Clerk/Manager of Legislative Services for information purposes; and
FURTHER THAT Council consider returning to in-person Council Meetings in Cobourg Municipal Council Chambers in the following new format:
(Option 1) That all Council Members be physically present in Council Chambers for all Municipal Council Meetings including the Municipal Clerk and Deputy Clerk and Chief Administrative Officer in an alternative set-up to adhere to public health protocols and all other Staff, Members of the Public and Delegates/Presenters shall participate electronically through a Zoom Video Conference.
AND FURTHER THAT Council authorize all Council Advisory Committees to participate through electronic participation utilizing Zoom Video Conferencing for the remainder of the Municipal Council Term or until Council provides further direction to return to in-person meetings.
The motion passed 6-1 and will need to be ratified at the regular Council Meeting on August 30.
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I applaud the Councillors’ reasoning for In-Person Meetings and its advantages and the statement of the disadvantages that were given for Zoom Meetings which many of us know all too well…