A meeting of the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners Thursday will allow attendance by more people than other recent sessions, but strict social-distancing guidelines will still be in place.
The meeting, scheduled for 6 p.m., will feature a public hearing on the proposed municipal budget for the 2020-21 fiscal year — which calls for no increases in property taxes or water-sewer rates — among other matters.
It will reflect adjustments in the meeting format to abide by updated restrictions on mass gatherings imposed by Gov. Roy Cooper.
One notable change will involve the location. The city council normally meets in council chambers on the main floor of the Municipal Building, but has not gathered there since March 19, when attendance was limited to city officials and the media.
As the coronavirus pandemic worsened, no commissioner meetings were held in April, and when the next one occurred on May 7, the venue was shifted to a small downstairs conference room to conform to a 10-person limit on public gatherings.
Tonight’s return to the council chambers upstairs will better accommodate the public in accordance with a relaxing of the governor’s guidelines.
As explained Tuesday afternoon by city Parks and Recreation Director Darren Lewis, who recently has been working with Information Technology personnel to arrange virtual meetings of the commissioners, more people will be admitted into the room.
Yet with social-distancing guidelines in place, attendance will still be greatly limited even in the larger space, Lewis said.
Seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Citizens not making it inside who wish to offer comments — either for the hearing on the budget or during a public forum — will be asked to wait outside for their names to be called to address officials. Attendees are to be signed in by a city employee manning the door.
The public is invited to make either written or oral comments for the public forum or budget hearing.
Written comments may be emailed to citypublic@mountairy.org by 10 a.m. Thursday, which will be read aloud by the attending city clerk during the forum and hearing.
Virtual option
As has been the case with recent city board meetings, the session also will be accessible to the public through virtual means.
It can be viewed online via Webex and Facebook Live.
This is available through the Webex link https://mountairy.webex.com/mountairy/onstage/g.php?MTID=edfdeb7d7635e75911598681aabac6ec3 and using the password COMA if prompted.
The meeting can be viewed via Facebook Live on the City of Mount Airy NC Facebook page by logging into Facebook and proceeding to the city’s page.
Another option is to listen in by telephone by calling 1-408-418-9388 and using access code 716 170 372 if prompted.
Links are to be posted on www.mountairy.org Thursday, according to a city government notice.
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com