Sturgeon County councillors will hold their meetings by telephone for the duration of the COVID-19 crisis.
Viewers tuning into the webcast of the March 31 county council meeting saw a table full of empty chairs as all councillors were in attendance by teleconference. Council had changed its procedures bylaw March 24 to allow for this to occur (the rules used to require at least a quorum of councillors to physically be in council chambers).
Mayor Alanna Hnatiw said council decided to switch to virtual meetings in response to the province’s calls for social distancing to stop the spread of COVID-19.
“This is an opportunity for us to be able to protect our staff,” she said, while at the same time allowing public access to meetings.
The Sturgeon County Centre (which contains council chambers) is currently closed to the public, with only essential staffers working there to minimize the risk of disease exposure, Hnatiw said. Residents can watch meetings on the county’s website, where they are livestreamed, and can ask to address council by phone by calling legislative services at 780-939-8399. People who need to hold public hearings can either have them held online or delay them until after the province lifts its COVID-19 restrictions.
Hnatiw said the province has made it clear that these all-virtual meetings were a temporary measure, and that councils would return to in-person meetings once the current crisis passed.
County meetings are webcast at bit.ly/2vWljfQ.
