City Council Hybrid Meetings in Council ChambersCity of Dubuque
City Council Meeting
ITEM TITLE:
SUMMARY:
SUGGESTED
DISPOSITION:
Copyrighted
June 21, 2021
Action Items # 6.
City Council Hybrid Meetings in Council Chambers
City Clerk transmitting information for City Council returning to Council
Chambers for City Council meetings starting July 6, 2021.
Suggested Disposition: Receive and File; Council
ATTACHMENTS:
Description
City Council Hybrid Meetings in Council Chambers
Memo
Type
Staff Memo
THE C
DUUB_-'*._TE
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Adrienne N. Breitfelder, City Clerk
Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: City Council Hybrid Meetings in Council Chambers
DATE: June 14, 2021
Dubuque
AN-Awrin City
2007-2012.2013
2017*2019
In anticipation of City Council returning to Council Chambers for the July 6, 2021, City
Council meeting, City staff are providing updated logistics for the hybrid meeting
arrangement based on evolving circumstances.
Staff were recently informed by Conference Technologies Incorporated (CTI), the
vendor selected to upgrade City Council chambers to an integrated hybrid meeting
system, that the parts needed for the installation are back ordered an estimated 4-6
weeks. Unfortunately, this delays the technology upgrades in Council Chambers to
August.
However, we remain prepared for City Council to return to Council Chambers on the
originally scheduled date of July 6, 2021, with the understanding that interim listening
and viewing options will be used until the technology upgrades are completed. This is
not ideal, but in the short term provides public access and facilitates in -person
meetings.
Meetings will continue to be hosted on GoToMeeting and will continue to be live
streamed via CityChannel Dubuque, the City's website, and Facebook. City Council,
City staff, and the public can continue participating virtually via GoToMeeting if they are
not able to attend in person. Anyone who uses GoToMeeting will be able to listen to the
meeting but will not have a view of the Council or speakers; they will only be able to
view power point presentations.
While the initial May 3, 2021, proposal recommended that City Council social distance
in Council Chambers, we have determined that there is no longer a need for City
Council to social distance. Therefore, we are revising the recommendation and
suggesting that all City Council members sit at the dais during City Council meetings,
along with the City Manager, Assistant City Manager, City Attorney, and City Clerk.
We are also presenting a revised recommendation for how members of the public
attend the meeting and provide input in Council Chambers. The previous
recommendation requested members of the public to wait in the lobby and view the
meeting from the TV in the lobby until City Council reached the agenda item they would
like to speak to. The revised recommendation permits members of the public to sit in
Council Chambers during City Council meetings, with City staff marking seats in Council
Chambers where the public could sit to allow for social distancing. Social distancing is
strongly recommended for all members of the public since it is impractical for City staff
to confirm the vaccination status of all members of the public in attendance. City staff
have determined that a maximum number of 16 people could sit in Council Chambers,
not including City Council and City staff who sit at the dais. Reporters could return to
sitting at the table in front of Council Chambers and are included in the maximum
capacity count of 16 people. If maximum capacity for attendees is reached in Council
Chambers, then all additional attendees would be requested to wait in the lobby. If the
City Council accepts this option for public input, then City Council must decide on the
following:
1. If any member of the public will be able to attend the meeting, or only those with
business for the City Council
2. If those with business for the City Council must exit Council Chambers immediately
after they finish providing public input.
Attendees with proclamations or presentations on the agenda would be encouraged to
attend the meeting in -person unless they do not feel comfortable attending in -person.
Members of the public who plan on providing input at the City Council meeting will be
strongly encouraged to contact the City Clerk in advance of the meeting to provide
notice of their intention to speak. This will help City staff adequately plan for social
distancing. Many Iowa City Councils, including Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Iowa City,
Ankeny, and Bettendorf have implemented policies where the public must notify the City
Clerk in advance of their intention to speak at a City Council meeting. If staff anticipates
a high number of people may attend the meeting, then staff may encourage participants
to use virtual public input options to ensure we do not exceed the capacity of Council
Chambers. Members of the public will still be able to provide input via the GoToMeeting
chat and the City Clerk's email. The City Clerk will continue announcing the options for
public input at the beginning of the meeting.
City staff attendance at the meeting in Council Chambers will remain limited to those
with business for the City Council. City staff who will present to City Council will wait in
either a staff conference room or the room utilized for meals before City Council
meetings. City staff will be able to enter Council Chambers during their agenda item and
will immediately exit Council Chambers after the completion of their agenda item. Staff
who do not have items on the agenda will be requested to continue viewing the meeting
virtually.
It is recommended that all members of the public who attend the meeting wear a mask
since it is impractical for City staff to confirm the vaccination status of all attendees.
Attendees who provide public input will only be permitted to remove their mask while
speaking at the podium. Masks will be offered at the entrance to Council Chambers for
all attendees. City staff will be required to wear masks unless speaking at the podium. It
is also recommended that City Council wear masks while entering and leaving Council
Chambers but could remove their masks while seated on the dais if they prefer.
Closed sessions will return to the conference room behind Council Chambers. If City
staff will attend a closed session, then that closed session may take place in Council
Chambers if the vaccination status of the staff member is unknown. If more than two
additional staff or outside counsel members are needed for the closed session and their
vaccination status cannot be confirmed, then the closed session may take place in
Council Chambers.
Information about these procedures will be communicated via signs placed outside of
Council Chambers and on the first page of the City Council agendas.
These guidelines may be subject to change based on Centers for Disease Control
(CDC) recommendations and other public health guidance.
Thank you,
cc: Crenna Brumwell, City Attorney
Cori Burbach, Assistant City Manager
Chris Kohlmann, Information Services Manager
Randy Gehl, Public Information Officer
Mark Dalsing, Chief of Police
Jeremy Jensen, Assistant Chief of Police
Mary Rose Corrigan, Public Health Specialist