Council and committee meetings return to Zoom
Council and committee meetings will be carried out both in person and virtually this week with the shift to Alert Level 2.
Increased restrictions are in place across the country after Auckland moved into Alert Level 3 and the rest of the country into Alert Level 2 last week following a resurgence of Covid-19.
The alert levels will remain in place until midnight on 26 August, with a review of the restrictions on 21 August.
Waipā mayor Jim Mylchreest said in order to maintain physical distancing measures, only nine councillors or committee members would attend each meeting in person.
“The remaining councillors or committee members will join meetings via Zoom, allowing us to adhere to Alert Level 2 guidelines.
“These meetings will be livestreamed to allow residents to watch online. Residents are also welcome to join us in Council chambers but physical distancing and contact tracing measures will be in place.”
Council’s Service Delivery committee meeting will be conducted via video conferencing application Zoom and in person at 9am on 18 August, followed by the Finance and Corporate committee meeting at 1pm.
The following week, a full Council meeting will be held on Zoom and in Council chambers on 25 August and livestreamed for residents to view.
Mylchreest said Council would be monitoring the situation over the coming weeks to decide how long meetings would continue to be held online and in person.
“If we move up alert levels then meeting will be carried out online only. However, if we move back to Alert Level 1 then we will explore resuming full face-to-face meetings in Council chambers.”
Council meetings were first live streamed in March as the country entered the Alert Level 4 lockdown. The practise was enabled by an amendment to the Local Government Act that allowed virtual meetings to meet quorum requirements.
Prior to the changes, quorum requirements meant at least seven councillors needed to be physically present in Council chambers for a decision to be passed.
Meetings can be accessed via the agendas and minutes page on Council’s website at waipadc.govt.nz/livestream. All recordings will be saved on Council’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/user/WaipaDC/videos.