Agenda - Council Work Session - 03/09/2021

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for any particular meeting will be determined by the order in which notification was received by the City Administrator. An eligible user may attend via interactive television, an unlimited number of times per year, contingent upon the general expectation that individuals will make every practical attempt to be physically present. Observations/Alternatives: Each board and commission at the City utilizes remotely attendance slightly differently. Each individual Councilmember or Commissioner has their own level of comfort attending in person during the pandemic. The City Council previously agreed to allow attendance flexibility to remain. Staff recommends continuing to allow this flexibility until the pandemic ends. This is, however, an appropriate time to discuss parameters post -pandemic. It is Staffs assumption that the City Council will want to place some limitations on usage; somewhere between where we are today and the more restrictive policy that existed before the pandemic. As a starting point for discussion, Staff would recommend (post -pandemic) to increase the number of times per year to 3 times per year (matches guidance in Statute) and allow up to 2 board members to attend remotely at the same time. Other Considerations 1. Staff Remote Attendance 2. Applicant Remote Attendance 3. Public Remote Attendance Staff Remote Attendance Staff has found efficiency in allowing Staff to attend remotely. Instead of requiring a couple hours of 'dead time' waiting for meetings, Staff can pop in for a shorter amount of time and only focus on their case presentation. Staff would ask for consideration to allow limited Staff remote attendance post -pandemic. Webcams would be required (cannot join via phone only). Applicant Remote Attendance Remote attendance has been especially beneficial to out-of-town Developers. Previously, out-of-town Applicants needed to incur travel expenses for short presentations. Especially for Development Proposals, the process may require 4-6 separate public meetings. Staff would ask for consideration to allow Applicants to join remotely. Webcams would be required (cannot join via phone only). Public Remote Attendance This aspect of remote attendance is the most challenging, especially for official Regular Meetings where formal action is taken. Staff cannot control the technological capabilities on the other end. There is a lot of 'hidden' tech support not seen at the meeting itself in order to make public remote attendance a capability. Staff is comfortable with remote attendance for workshops and Work Sessions. However, Staff would recommend that post -pandemic that public remote attendance not be allowed for Regular Meetings unless additional Staff Resources are added to the City's IT Department. The current setup is acceptable during this temporary pandemic, but is not sustainable moving forward. Alternatives 1. Continue current 'interim' policy until the current pandemic ends 2. Begin to revert back to original policy as directed prior to the pandemic Funding Source: No additional funding is required.