COUNCIL
another camera set up for members of the public to address commissioners.
Just a handful of people were scattered throughout the hall, with one man offering wideranging testimony to elected officials.
“We just have to figure out our new reality,” Mayor Buddy Dyer said. “Our estimation is it’s going to be some time [before restrictions are lifted].”
Versions of digital public meetings are increasing across the region to comply with restrictions to curtail the spread of the virus through large gatherings.
Last week, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners met with a small group of elected officials in the city council chambers, while the rest attended by phone.
An executive order from Gov. Ron DeSantis waived the legal requirement for a quorum to be present in person at a meeting.
Orlando’s first run at a digital meeting went smoothly.
Officials thought ahead and offered helpful advice to each other to avoid awkward moments. During the Pledge of Allegiance, for instance, Dyer suggested commissioners stand to the side of waist-height computer cameras, “for obvious reasons.”
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