ST. AUGUSTINE BEACH, Fla. — Decisions on everything about how to spend your money, to where to build the newest housing development or mall are made inside of city meetings.
And while they make look dull and sometimes even sound dull, they are critical to everyday life.
That's why they must go on in the midst of a pandemic.
The question is: how to do it safely when the governor is mandating those meetings take place in person?
The St. Augustine City commission, like many other Florida cities, are meeting in person because they have to.
Denise May, St. Augustine's City Attorney, said in this week's city commission meeting, "All of us have been hindered by Governor DeSantis’ orders."
The governor let an executive order expire in November which allowed local government meetings to be online.
So face-to-face it is, even and as COVID-19 numbers rise.
This week, St. Augustine City Commissioners considered options to have safer meetings such as outside under a metal barn or even in the St. Augustine Amphitheatre. They discussed adjusting the meeting room’s ventilation system and making the meetings shorter in duration.
Commissioners showed the most interest in a hybrid tactic which allows three city commissioners inside the room and two commissioners online.
City Manager John Regan said, "Under the hybrid, we could have less commissioners, less staff, less public in the room."
Usually, at meetings, there are more city staff personnel and public participants than city commissioners.
City Commissioner Nancy Sikes-Kline said she's not so worried about the commissioners’ safety because they sit so far away from the rest of the people in the room.
"I’m sitting pretty up here," she told commissioners. "But this is staff," she pointed to the other people in the room. "They’re the ones who make it happen. We make policy, but they do the job! So I feel strongly for them, for our officers, and the public."
During this same meeting, five of the people who spoke during the public comment time did not wear masks in the room, even though masks are required. This made commissioners question what options they have. The city attorney said, "We do have the ability within our public building and within our public meetings to require masks."
Mayor Tracy Upchurch noted, "And we understand that this is a political statement by these speakers. Let’s call a spade a spade."
City Commissioner John Valdes added, “I do not want to see people coming in and out of this room unmasked. I don’t care what their problem is."
For now, city staff will look into the technology of creating hybrid meetings, which are partially in-person and partially online. Their aim is to ensure public meetings are still available to the public and safe for the public.