Beginning this evening, Mattawa is opening the doors to city council meetings, and the public is welcome to walk on through and have a seat. Six feet apart, of course.
And once comfortably seated six feet from your neighbour, “face coverings can be removed,” the town explained in a recent release.
Just ensure “distancing can be maintained,” the town emphasized, adding that attendees “will be required to self screen upon entry” for symptoms, and will also be required to provide contact information.
“Face coverings are mandatory” while entering and completing the sign-in process.
Council holds regular meetings on the second and fourth Monday of each month at seven p.m. Tonight’s meeting makes up for yesterday’s holiday closure.
Meetings occur at the Town Hall, within the Dr. S.F. Monestime council chambers.
For those who prefer to savour their council meetings from the comforts of home, participating via teleconference is still an option.
The town’s Facebook feed remains discontinued, as “technical issues” resulted in “sound and lag issues.”
See: Is this thing on? Audio issues still plague Mattawa council
Many residents complained about the poor sound quality of these streamed meetings. At times the audio was so poor as to be undecipherable. The town is aware of the issue and intend to find a solution.
In the meantime, the municipality thanks residents “for their patience” as they work to resolve the on-going audio issue.
If there are questions or concerns about re-opening the meetings, residents are welcome to contact the municipal office at 705-744-5611.
To participate in the meeting via teleconference, call 1-833-311-4104 and use access code 2483 385 2058. The night’s agenda can be found on the town’s website.
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
