Effective immediately, Columbus City Council meetings will return to virtual only for the public due to the rise in COVID-19, according to a Tuesday press release from Mayor Keith Gaskin.
The move came at the advice of local medical officials, the release said.
The council meets at 5 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of each month in the Municipal Complex courtroom. The next council meeting will be Aug. 17.
Meetings will continue to be streamed live on Facebook, the city’s web page, Boxcast and a new YouTube channel the city will kick off later this week, said Joe Dillon, city public information officer.
“I strongly believe this is a wise decision at this time,” Gaskin said in the press release. “For over a year, the council met like this, and for now, we have to go back to this practice. With the addition of a live YouTube channel, citizens can now watch and hear the meetings from four sources. We will also continue to post the recordings online for those that can’t see it live.”
At the last council meeting, Gaskin gave department heads the option to attend virtually, and most did, according to the press release. Council members can attend in person or virtually.
Gaskin will continue to hold press conferences the Wednesday after each council meeting, but the media will be required to social distance and wear a mask. Those press conferences will also be streamed live on Facebook and YouTube.
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