Richmond Hill council reopens public forum, eyes hybrid meetings amid COVID-19

Staff will report back to council on proxy voting in the fall

Yorkregion.com
July 31, 2020
Sheila Wang

With municipal offices closed to the public for months, some opportunities are opening up again for Richmond Hill residents to participate in civic matters.

City council decided unanimously at the July 23 special council meeting to resume holding a public forum during electronic meetings, to allow the public to speak about matters that are not on the agenda.

The public forum that generally takes place at the beginning of a council meeting has been suspended since March due to COVID-19.

The resumption of the open forum is part of the revised rules on public participation stipulated in the recently passed Bill 197, or the COVID-19 Economic Recovery Act, according to a staff report.

Bill 197 is an omnibus piece of legislation which is set to amend a slew of provincial statutes, including the Planning Act, the Education Act and the Municipal Act.

A maximum of five persons will be allowed to register for the public forum in Richmond Hill, starting from the next council meeting scheduled for Sept. 9, the report says.

Staff will also be exploring options to resume in-person council and committee meetings, including conducting hybrid meetings with a mix of in-person and electronic participation.

The report says the city will have some COVID-19 restrictions in place throughout the fall or longer, and Mayor Dave Barrow will be able to decide on whether to restrict in-person access until Jan 31, 2021 in consultation with the city manager and the city clerk.

Council will determine the rules on in-person restrictions afterward.

Meanwhile, staff will also be looking at the proposed changes to the Municipal Act, which allows an absent council member to appoint another member to cast a proxy vote.

The city clerk is expected to report back on the proposal in the fall of 2020.