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Hybrid City Council Meetings Presentation
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Summary and Background Information:
In March 2020, the United States began seeing the first cases of COVID-19. In response to this pandemic, numerous governmental agencies shut down facilities, stopped services, and began allocating resources to responding to the pandemic. Former City Manager McBroom issued a declaration declaring an emergency in Commerce City. City Council held a special meeting on March 13, 2020 and passed ordinance 2271 which laid out emergency and electronic meeting procedures and provided for remote meetings to take place during the pandemic in the interest of public welfare.
City staff swiftly researched and implemented software and procedures to provide for remote meetings. The city began using Zoom Webinar to conduct its electronic meetings. During the months of March and April, city council only held special meetings to consider critical business. At the April 20 special meeting, council voted to reinstate regular meetings and study sessions via Zoom Webinar. Since May, council has conducted its regular meetings and study sessions via Zoom Webinar.
Council has requested staff to research the technology and resources needed to conduct hybrid council meetings. Hybrid meetings would provide for some combination of council, staff, and the public to participate and view city council meetings remotely and in-person. Over the last several months, members of the City Manager's Office, City Attorney's Office, Human Resources, Information Technology, and the City Clerk's office have researched, discussed, and compiled information on hybrid city council meetings. Staff have complied this information into a Standard which, if directed by council, will lay out the requirements of conducting city council meetings in a hybrid manner.
The City Clerk will provide the presentation for council's consideration. The City Attorney will also provided a brief overview of Ordinance 2291 which is set t...
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