The Metro Council will get an update later this month on plans to return to in-person meetings after months of meeting virtually.
The updated report comes from the council administrator’s office via Ashley Beck, council administrator-treasurer, who says she initially thought members could return to face-to-face meetings in August, but in late June told the council it was impossible to guarantee a date for resuming in-person meetings. That was due to the governor’s orders restricting the number of people who can meet, based on the state’s economic reopening plan.
So far, Council member Tara Wicker thinks the virtual meetings have been going OK and that the city-parish made the best out of a bad situation by going virtual. However, she says she’s looking forward to returning to in-person meetings.
“My concern is with citizens without the internet who rely on the ability to come face-to-face to address their council members,” Wicker says. “There’s a difference between listening to letters and looking at a face, seeing through to their hearts, their facial expressions, their passion.”
She wants the council to think creatively when considering returning and make sure it has taken steps to protect the public’s health and safety.
Council member Trae Welch is also concerned about the quality and level of input from constituents in the virtual meetings, saying there’s been less participation since the meetings went online.
Welch also says the council should return soon to considering policy issues that were shelved when the meetings went virtual. The council didn’t want to consider controversial items during the virtual meetings, Wicker and Welch say, rather only issues affecting the city-parish’s day-to-day business and contracts.
“Even though we have less than six months on the council, I look forward to us getting back to policy,” Welch says. “There’s some direction I’d like us to take a look at before we leave. … Some of the biggest things are infrastructure and the budget, as it’s coming up.”
Beck’s office and the office of public information have consulted with a number of experts and agencies including other political subdivision governing authorities, an infectious disease physician, the Baton Rouge Fire Department, the city-parish buildings and grounds staff, information services staff, and the city-parish audiovisual contractor to make arrangements for returning to meetings—with appropriate safeguards—in the council chambers.
In June, Beck asked the city-parish attorney’s office to explore the possibility of a hybrid public meeting where some council members and members of the public could be present, while others could participate remotely. As of today, that idea has been scrapped due to technological limitations and questions regarding legality.
Beck’s updated report will be introduced Wednesday to go up for public hearing at the council’s next meeting, Aug. 26. The Metro Council hasn’t met in person since March 11, just prior to Gov. John Bel Edwards’ initial stay-at-home order in response to the novel coronavirus. Since then, meetings have been broadcast on brla.gov, on Metro 21 and on the City of Baton Rouge/Parish of East Baton Rouge Facebook page via Facebook Live.
