County commissioners ‘not comfortable’ with resuming in-person meetings
House Bill 4286 would require in person meetings for elected public bodies to resume April 1, but allow appointed public bodies, such as the county parks commission and road commission, to continue meeting remotely through Dec. 31, 2021.
Some Oakland County commissioners are calling on Lansing lawmakers to pass legislation that would allow for the continuation of remote meetings past March 31, when those remote provisions are set to expire.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, public bodies were required under the state’s Open Meetings Act to gather in person. The Act was amended last spring to allow public bodies to meet remotely while moving public comment and attendance online. On Dec. 22, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed Senate Bill 1246 with extended the remote meeting provisions through March 31.
The 21-member board is prepared for the resumption of in person meetings, but some commissioners are apprehensive about doing so with the recent uptick on the number of new COVID-19 cases. Since Feb. 21, the county’s 7-day average case rate has increased over 480% from 68 cases per day to 397 cases per day.
Marcia Gershenson (DBloomfield Hills), board vice chair, and William Miller (D-Farmington) will introduced a resolution at the board meeting Thursday calling on lawmakers to extend the remote meeting provisions past March 31.
As of now, all public bodies, elected and appointed, will have to resume in person meetings beginning April 1.
“We’re not comfortable returning to in-person meetings at this point,” said Gershenson. “With the rise in cases around the state, despite the optimism increased vaccinations bring, we must stay vigilant in our physical distancing practices so that we can completely defeat this virus.”
Art Holdsworth, the county’s director of facilities management, told The Oakland Press that the board’s plexiglass barriers have not been received yet, but that the goal is to have them installed within the next three weeks before the first full board meeting in April. The board has already approved a $70,000 appropriation to purchase and install those barriers.
Currently, there are two bills in Lansing that would allow for public bodies to meet remotely past March 31. Both have been referred to the House Committee on Local Government and Municipal Finance, which is chaired by Rep. Julie Calley (R-Portland).
House Bill 4286 would require in person meetings for elected public bodies to resume April 1, but allow appointed public bodies, such as the county parks commission and road commission, to continue meeting remotely through Dec. 31, 2021. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Luke Meerman (R-Coopersville).
House Bill 4371, would amend the Open Meetings Act to indefinitely allow all public bodies to meet remotely or under a hybrid model, in person or remote, as needed. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Cara Clemente (D-Lincoln Park).
Michael Spisz (R-Oxford), chair of the board’s GOP caucus, said he’s expecting that some Republican commissioners will support the resolution. He added that he would support legislation allowing for a hybrid option of in person and remote meetings.
“Hopefully (state lawmakers) can come together to reach an agreement,” he said. “The county board will be ready for in person meetings. The concern is that other cities, villages, and townships may not be.”
As of now, commissioners will not be required to take a COVID-19 test prior to attending a committee or board meeting in person, but anyone who enters a building on the county’s government campus in Pontiac is screened for temperature and asked questions about travel, symptoms, and possible COVID-19 exposure.
Once in person meetings resume, all state guidelines on indoor, non-residential gatherings will be followed. The updated guidance, which took effect March 5 and runs through April 19, allows for up to 25 people to gather at one time indoors in non-residential settings.
With the state’s indoor, non-residential capacity limits so tight, the board is planning to continue to allow the public to watch meetings and provide public comment virtually.