There have been many conversations about city council returning to in-person meetings, but that remains off the table for now.
Each time the matter comes up, “we unanimously agree that it’s too early right now,” said Mayor Steve Clarke.
“The Delta variant is a challenge,” he said, referring to the COVID-19 variant that has led to Simcoe-Muskoka being declared a hot spot. “The sooner everybody gets their second vaccine and the cases continue to drop, we can get back to some state of normalcy, and that includes in-person meetings.”
Clarke expects in-person meetings to return in the fall “based on present trends, including the vaccination rate.”
Since council began meeting virtually, few have spoken during the open public forum, which is an opportunity for people to address council directly.
Clarke couldn’t say if there has been a decrease in the number of people taking part in the open public forum as a result of the online meetings, “but it’s certainly possible,” he said.
“There are some people who may not have the technology or may be uncomfortable with the technology,” he said, adding the city is doing its best to let residents know how they can participate.
Clarke said he hasn’t heard many complaints about the virtual meeting format, but there have been “a few concerns.”
“A lot of people have done what we’ve done at city hall and have learned to adjust,” he said.
It isn’t ideal, though, and he looks forward to getting back to in-person meetings.
“The sooner, the better,” he said. “We genuinely want to hear from the public. We need to hear from them.”
