Agenda - 10-05-2021; 8-a - Minutes

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14 1 September 2021 Virtual Meetings 2 September 9 BOCC Virtual Work Session — 7:00 pm 3 September 14 BOCC Virtual Business Meeting — 7:00 pm 4 September 23 BOCC Joint Virtual Meeting with Schools— 7:00 pm 5 6 October 2021 Virtual Meetings 7 October 5 BOCC Virtual Business Meeting — 7:OOpm 8 October 7 BOCC Virtual Joint Meeting with Fire Departments and Work Session — 7:00 pm 9 October 19 BOCC Virtual Business Meeting — 7:OOpm 10 11 Chair Price reminded the Commissioners that the Board planned back in June to have 12 tonight's meeting in person, but that did not happen due to the delta variant. She said this item 13 is for the Board to consider a revised schedule again. Chair Price asked if the Clerk to the 14 Board had any comments on this item. 15 Laura Jensen said staff will make sure the Board's decision is properly noticed. 16 Commissioner McKee said his petition is that the Board go into, and remain in, open 17 session besides the September 2 and September 9 meetings. He said Commissioners and 18 staff can fit comfortably and safely in the boardroom at the Whitted Building, and described how 19 this is possible. He said elected officials should meet in public when discussing public matters, 20 and while virtual meetings work, they do not have the same access as in person meetings. He 21 said children are back in school safely, and the BOCC should be able to do the same. 22 Commissioner Bedford agreed with Commissioner McKee about the quality of the 23 meeting being better in person when the public can be present. She said children under age 24 12, who cannot be vaccinated, are still at risk and, given breakthrough cases and heightening 25 restrictions elsewhere, she thinks continuing virtual meetings for the time being is more 26 appropriate. She said 6 week check-ins seem appropriate. She said she does not feel safe not 27 knowing which members of the public are and are not vaccinated. 28 Commissioner Hamilton said she understands and sees both sides of this issue. She 29 said her mother lives in a facility, and it just went into lock down due to a positive test for Covid. 30 She said she would like to think through a middle position, especially regarding the issue of how 31 to accommodate the public in the space. She said she would also like to determine agreed 32 upon criteria to trigger meeting in public again: what figures does the Board want to see, etc. 33 Chair Price agreed the Commissioners and staff could fit in the room safely, but does not 34 know how logistics of bringing in the public would work. She said she wants to take the delta 35 variant seriously, as it is so transmissible, and no one knows what the next variant may look 36 like. She said she is willing to meet virtually for the next 3 meetings, and understands the 37 Clerk's concern of wanting to have advanced notice. She said the County is taking this one-day 38 at a time, in many ways. 39 Commissioner McKee said he does not want to jeopardize anyone else's health either. 40 He said his only intent is to get public business back into public meetings. He said this should 41 be a thought out plan. He asked if staff would work with the Health Director and Asset Manager 42 on how the room can be configured to achieve the goal of safely returning to in person 43 meetings, so that the plan will be in place when the time comes. 44 45 A motion was made by Commissioner Bedford, seconded by Commissioner McKee, to 46 amend the Board of Commissioners' meeting calendar for 2021 and conduct all meetings 47 scheduled for September and October 2021 virtually. 48 49 Roll call ensued 50