The Clark County Council’s debate over whether to return to in-person meetings has yet to be resolved. The council debated the issue at its Jan. 5 meeting but had too many questions still to answer before reaching a decision.
County Manager Kathleen Otto cautioned the council that restrictions are still in place. “Keep in mind we still have to provide online and phone access to our community based on the proclamation and direction from our governor,” Otto said.
The council could continue to hold meetings virtually or go to a hybrid model, with the council meeting in-person and the public given virtual access.
If the council wants to allow the public to attend in person, Otto said additional safeguards would be needed. The county will need to decide on how many people would be allowed to attend, whether proof of vaccination would be required, and whether mask and social distancing guidelines must be followed.
Councilor Gary Medvigy said the public is demanding meetings be held in person.
“I think it will be really challenging for the manager and us as a whole to further the orders that are in place by the state and the federal government,” Medvigy said. “Nevertheless, I want to come in. I want to open it to the public. I want to proceed toward some normalcy.”
But Councilor Julie Olson said there are too many risks present still to return to in-person meetings.
“We’re still in a massive uptick of omicron cases, there are still a significant number of people that are unvaccinated, our hospitals are more crowded than ever today than they were at any time during this pandemic. I think opening it up right now would create a significant hardship on our staff,” Olson said.
Instead, Olson suggested waiting another month — when the peak in omicron cases is expected to have passed — to make a decision.
“I understand there will be some difficulties … but we are representatives for the people of Clark County. Our staff helps the county run, but our real boss is the people and the people are asking that we come back and open up,” said Council Chair Eileen Quiring O’Brien.
O’Brien said she sees no difference in attending council meetings and going to the grocery store, which people do all the time. She also said the omicron variant is far less serious than the delta variant and the original SARS-Cov-2 virus that causes COVID-19.
On Thursday, the World Health Organization said omicron appears to be less severe than the delta variant, especially in those who have been vaccinated, but it should not be categorized as a mild illness. The WHO said omicron is still resulting in hospitalizations and deaths.
The council will again discuss the merits and risks of continuing to meet remotely or in person at its next Board of Health meeting at 9 a.m. Jan. 12.
The council also set a public hearing date for a mini-initiative that called on the county to ban all mandates within Clark County that it claims discriminate against citizens regarding their health status and/or that violate existing rights to health information privacy.
Signatures for the initiative were verified by the auditor’s office on Dec. 30, giving the council 60 days from the date to hold a public hearing. Following the public hearing, the council has 30 days to vote on the proposed ordinance.
The hearing will be held at 6 p.m. Feb. 1. While the council’s first meeting of the month is usually held at 10 a.m., the time was moved later to allow those interested to attend and offer public comment.
For council meeting information and agendas, go to https://clark.wa.gov/councilors/clark-county-council-meetings.
