Title
Resumption of In-Person Government Meetings
Brief Description: Council members will discuss plans for resumption of in-person Council meetings and workshops at the Town Hall, and staff will provide an update regarding the Audio Equipment Upgrade Project.
Body
Legislative History
File No. 20-0004, public meeting location considerations, including audio-visual equipment and furniture needs for Town Hall and City Hall; workshop discussion on January 14, 2020.
Resolution No. 20-44, authorization to purchase audio equipment for the Council Chambers meeting room at Town Hall; received three readings, but motion to pass failed for lack of a second on June 2, 2020.
File No. 20-0108, procedure to resume in-person meetings and audio needs, workshop discussion on August 11, 2020.
Resolution No. 20-98, authorization to purchase audio equipment for the Council Chambers meeting room at Town Hall, passed August 18, 2020.
Purpose & Explanation
Due to the Coronavirus outbreak and out of extreme caution for the health and well-being of public officials, staff, and other attendees, meetings of Hudson City Council have been held remotely via video-conference since March 24, 2020, in accordance with Ohio Revised Code Section 121.22 specific to amendments made in light of the COVID-19 declared emergency. As has been the practice in past in-person meetings, the virtual meetings have been broadcast via public live-stream on Hudson Community Television and the City’s website (www.hudson.oh.us), and archived videos are available online. The public has had the ability to participate in virtual meetings by either submitting written comments or requesting to speak live during Council’s regular meetings.
Council members would like to resume in-person meetings as soon as practicable. Staff will review a plan for holding regular and workshop meetings of City Council in the upstairs meeting room of Town Hall and will discuss logistics, including limited room capacity and required safety measures, compliant with Ohio’s COVID-19 regulations for in-person public meetings. Due to the limited room capacity, hybrid meetings would be necessary, with some attendees joining both in-person and virtually. Members of the public will need to make reservations for in-person attendance.
In addition, staff will provide a status update of the Audio Equipment Upgrade Project, currently in progress (see attachment for details).
Timing Considerations
To be determined.
Fiscal Impact
Currently Budgeted (Account #, $)
Supplemental Appropriation Required (Account #, $)
X Appropriation Not Required.
Recommendation
Suggested Action
Staff recommends resumption of in-person meetings of City Council, as directed by a consensus of Council members and in compliance with Ohio’s COVID-19 regulations for in-person government meetings.
Submitted by,
Jane Howington, City Manager
Frank Comeriato, Assistant City Manager - Operations
Thomas Sheridan, Assistant City Manager - Professional Services
Dan Gerbracht, HCTV Operations Manager