Local government officials won’t be able to keep phoning it in when November begins.
But who knows if that is a good thing?
Starting Nov. 1, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ allowance for remote gatherings will expire and Anna Maria Island’s three cities must resume holding public meetings with majority voting quorums in person.
DeSantis issued an executive order March 19, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, that suspended state requirements for local governments to meet in person.
The order allowed local government officials to attend public meetings via Zoom or teleconference to combat the spread of the coronavirus by lessening public gatherings.
DeSantis extended the order numerous times — most recently on Sept. 30 — but it is set to expire Oct. 31.
Anna Maria Island’s local governments have taken advantage of the allowance to different degrees.
Holmes Beach hasn’t held an in-person city commission meeting in months, choosing instead to meet virtually and keeping city hall closed to the public.
While Bradenton Beach has achieved a few in-person quorums throughout the pandemic, commissioners have often remotely attended.
The city’s Oct. 22 commission meeting was the first time since March that the entire commission met in person at city hall.
Anna Maria has maintained in-person quorums for most public meetings since the pandemic began, with the occasional commissioner in remote attendance.
All three cities have provided remote public access to their meetings via Zoom and teleconferencing.
Island officials have expressed mixed feelings toward the required in-person meetings.
Bradenton Beach Commissioner Jan Vosburgh told The Islander Oct. 22 that she had no problems resuming in-person quorums and preferred to meet in person.
“I don’t like to go on Zoom,” Vosburgh said. “Half the time you can’t hear or there’s a technical problem or something. I’d rather be in city hall, where you feel like you can really get into a meeting.”
Vosburgh said she was satisfied with the city staff’s efforts to sanitize city hall, as well as the plexiglass dividers that have been installed between the seats on the dais.
“But we have to take it slow and easy with the public being in city hall,” she added. “I don’t see a problem with continuing to use Zoom for the public.”
Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth wrote in an Oct. 21 email to The Islander that in-person quorums should not be required — until a vaccine is released.
“People still want to attend Zoom meetings and I don’t blame them,” Titsworth wrote. “Many have underlying health issues and do not want to expose themselves to harm.”
Titsworth wrote that while commissioners must meet in person, the city may continue offering remote public access to its meetings via Zoom and teleconferencing, and they may keep city hall closed.
“We will either live-stream only or continue Zoom,” she said. “We have IT working on our options.”
Anna Maria also is weighing its options.
During an Oct. 22 meeting, Mayor Dan Murphy asked city commissioners to consider three options for meetings:
- Continue offering remote public access to meetings, as well as taking public comment via Zoom and teleconferencing;
- Continue offering remote public access to meetings with Zoom and teleconferencing, but only taking public comment from people attending meetings in person;
- Eliminate the use of Zoom and teleconferencing access to city meetings.
Murphy said they would discuss the issue at 2 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, at city hall, 10005 Gulf Drive N.
Bradenton Beach clerk Terri Sanclemente did not respond to an Oct. 23 email asking if the city would continue to provide live public access to its meetings after Nov. 1.
Bradenton Beach Mayor John Chappie also did not respond to an Oct. 21 email and Oct. 22 call from The Islander.