Wilkes-Barre City Council Chairman Bill Barrett, shown seated outdoors at a special meeting on March 20 as the coronavirus outbreak spread, said meetings will return to City Hall on July 16 with precautions in place.
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WILKES-BARRE — The public can either watch online or be there in person next month when city council meets.
Council has scheduled its next combined work session and public meeting for 6 p.m. on July 16 at City Hall.
For months it had been shut out of its fourth-floor meeting room by the combined one-two punch of the coronavirus pandemic and the damage caused by a storm that tore a section of the roof off the building. Council adapted by meeting online and eventually progressing from answering questions submitted by email to taking calls over a dedicated phone line.
The restrictions that came with the state imposed shutdown to slow the spread of COVID-19 will be lifted Friday with Luzerne County entering the green phase of Pennsylvania’s reopening. On Monday, the public will be allowed back into a repaired City Hall.
Council Chairman Bill Barrett welcomed the planned return to an albeit changed environment.
“It’s been approved by the (city) Health Department,” Barrett said.
On Wednesday Barrett and council Vice Chairman Tony Brooks met with city officials to go over the new arrangements that limit the number of people inside the meeting room, the layout of chairs and precautions to be taken.
The five elected council members will have their familiar seats in the front of the room, but with Plexiglas dividers between them, Barrett said. City Clerk Jim Ryan also will be seated at the front table. Mayor George Brown and City Administrator Charlie McCormick will be seated to the side in their regular spots. Masks will be required to be worn.
The speaker’s stand will have Plexiglas as well and disposable pens and pencils will be used for the public to sign in to address council, Barrett added. The five-minute time limit for public comment has not changed.
Two seats will be reserved for the Times Leader and Citizens’ Voice reporters who regularly cover the meetings. But far fewer than the 45 to 50 seats for the public will be available.
“We’re looking at up to 15, 16 people. We’re not quite sure,” Barrett said. The chair locations will be marked on the floor.
“We are to strictly enforce social distancing,” Barrett said.
Seats will be available in the hallway for people who can’t get in but want to address council. Similarly, members of the administration will wait in the adjoining Clerk’s office until called upon to address council or the public.
Even with the precautions, some people might not want to attend, but they’ll be able to watch and participate, Barrett said.
“I’m happy to say we are continuing to live stream the meeting,” Barrett said. In addition people can call in and he ensured the audio quality will be better than at the prior meetings. The new phone number will be listed in the legal ad in the newspapers announcing the meeting, he said.
Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott.
