By Cecilia Nasmith
Cobourg's next council meeting – a committee-of-the-whole session on March 7, marks their return to the hybrid-meeting model.
This model is in line with Council Procedural Bylaw, and resumes the set-up that was in operation late last year – with council members and senior staff members making their own choices to attend in person or appear through electronic means. They returned to the virtual format that had predominated for much of the COVID pandemic when the Omicron variant became dominant.
Director of Legislative Services and Municipal Clerk Brent Larmer stressed the importance of being able to participate and engage in local government in person.
“We are hoping this will be the final transition from fully electronic to the modern hybrid-meeting approach to council meetings,” Larmer said in the announcement.
Victoria Hall is also open to the public for direct access to municipal services, with no need to show proof of vaccination since the Province of Ontario lifted this restriction on Tuesday of this week.
As part of this reopening, members of the public may attend council meetings in chambers in the public gallery – at a limited capacity to start, with all present remaining masked when in council chambers. These restrictions may be lifted, depending on further provincial-government announcements.
Members of council and municipal staff will have the choice to participate in-person in council chambers or to opt for electronic participation.
Members of the public may watch the meetings through the livestream. Visit Cobourg.ca/escribe for more information.
