City Council Minutes 2020 07 14 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

City Council Meeting Minutes July 14, 2020 Page 5 of 11 hold electronic meetings for land use applications the final decision regarding which is subject to referendum. Staff is presenting three options for Council consideration. She noted this conversation is only for those items subject to referendum. Council has previously decided that items not subject to referendum may be heard electronically. Clerk Muth reviewed the options. Option 1 - Council can continue with the existing rules whereby hearings on quasi-judicial matters subject to referendum must be held in -person. If Council would like to hold in -person meetings, the Rules of Procedure do not permit City Councilmembers to participate electronically, however Council could make electronic participation available to members of the public if it would like to. As a legislative body, the City Council is allowed to meet in -person; however social distancing rules would not allow for many members of the public to attend a meeting in Council Chambers as the room is relatively small. Staff could arrange for in -person meetings at the Brooks/Crown Room at the Recreation I Senior Center to allow for more social distancing and the meeting could be broadcast on Channel 8 and web streamed. This option would allow people to attend in -person to give comments. However, if there more than about 20 people in attendance this set up would not allow for people to attend the entire meeting in -person. People would have to be staged in a separate room and brought in to give public comments. If Council would like, an electronic component could be made available for members of the public to attend and give comments remotely. This option would allow people at home to watch the meeting one of multiple ways including on Comcast Channel 8, via Zoom, and streaming through the City's website on YouTube. Option 2 - Council could amend the Rules of Procedure to allow electronic participation by members of the Council at in -person meetings. Members of the public would also be able to attend electronically. Some members of Council have stated their reticence to attend in -person meetings with COVID-19 still spreading. If Council would like to change its Rules of Procedure, the same setup and logistics for the Brooks/Crown Room would be used and the same electronic participation options would be available for the public. The Legal Review Committee met on July 7 and recommends this option. Option 3 — Council could amend Resolution No. 38, Series 2020 to allow the City Council to hold electronic meetings for quasi-judicial hearings for items subject to referendum. Clerk Muth noted that Quasi-judicial items subject to referenda allow for residents to collect signatures on a petition to require the matter be referred to the ballot for public consideration. The state's Safer at Home Order explicitly permits signature