ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla — As the coronavirus worsens, some local governments in Florida want to go back to having commission meetings online instead of in person.
But they can’t, because of a state statute.
St. Augustine City Commissioners will take up a resolution Monday evening to ask Gov. Ron Desantis to allow online meetings again.
Before COVID-19, public government meetings were usually held inside one meeting room. The meetings then went online because the governor issued an executive order allowing it.
Now, even with the virus raging across the country, public meetings in Florida have to be held inside one room again.
"The state statutes require the city to meet in person," St. Augustine City Manager John Regan said.
Desantis lifted the executive order, so, as of November, local governments have to hold public meetings in person.
"I think it was an effort to get back to normalcy," Regan told First Coast News Monday, "but times are anything but normal."
St. Augustine city leaders will vote Monday night to ask Desantis to allow virtual public meetings again.
"All of the guidance documents and the recommendations and the White House Task Force suggestions and public health information and the science is – don’t gather in rooms," Regan said. "It seems pretty self-evident it would be safe and set the right example."
The St. Augustine City Manager says it’s not just better for the health of the city staff and commissioners, but also for the safety of the public who attends and speaks at meetings.
Just last week, St. Augustine Mayor Tracy Upchurch and some city commissioners raised concerns with the governor’s stance on local mask laws.
"The governor has taken away our ability to enforce our mask ordinance," Upchurch said.