CITY OF PACIFICA
COUNCIL AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT
7/11/2022
1 SUBJECT:
Update on Returning to In-Person City Council Meetings
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Hear an update about the status of the pandemic and confirm continuation of remote Zoombased meetings for City Council and Commission/Committee meetings through September, returning to in-person meetings beginning with the October 10, 2022 City Council meeting STAFF CONTACT:
Kevin Woodhouse, City Manager
(650) 738-7409
[email protected]
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION:
The City Council has discussed when and how to return to in-person City Council and Commission/Committee meetings several times since fall 2021, at City Council meetings on September 27, November 8, and December 13, 2021, and February 28 and May 23, 2022.
From March 14 through May 23, 2022, meetings had returned to in-person with a “phone-in for public comment” hybrid model for City Council and Planning Commission meetings, during a time when COVID-19 infections seemed to be improving. However, at the May 23rd Council meeting, the City Council directed a return to the remote Zoom-based format beginning in June due to rapid increases in virus infections. At that time, the Council anticipated being able to return to in-person meetings by the August 8, 2022, City Council meeting.
However, positive COVID cases, particularly due to the BA.5 variant, have once again been on the rise. The San Mateo County Health Officer’s update for the week of July 4, 2022, reports that as of the weekly update posted on June 30, 2022 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), San Mateo County has moved from Medium/Yellow to the High/Red COVID19 Community Level category, and this move to the higher-risk category is driven by increasing hospitalizations in San Mateo and San Francisco counties and demand on local health care systems. The CDC recommends that residents wear a mask indoors in public and on public transportation, and the San Mateo County Health urges residents, even those who are vaccinated and boosted, to wear high-quality (N95/KN95) masks indoors, with businesses and event hosts to consider requiring masks for participants in indoor activities. A higher prevalence of COVID-19 means that the risk of exposure is greater especially as the Omicron subvariants spread more readily than previous variants of the disease.
With the summer vacation season underway during July and early-August, and return-to-school in early August, it is anticipated that the spread of the BA.5 variant will continue to be prevalent.
In addition, as approved by the City Council at the May 23 Council meeting, the City will be commencing modest interior improvements to the Council Chambers with contractor activity to begin in August (depending on availability of materials due to supply chain impacts). Therefore, the City Manager recommends delaying return to in-person meetings until the October 10, 2022, City Council meeting. By that time, it is hoped that the COVID case load will have decreased, Pacifica City Council 2
July 11, 2022
bringing the County to a lower Community Level category, and that a significant portion of, if not all, improvements to the Council Chambers will have been completed. If the pandemic status proves differently headed into September, the City Manager would bring forth an alternative recommendation for Council consideration at a September City Council meeting.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION:
The Council could identify a different date, or a date to-be-determined, for return to in-person meetings.
RELATION TO CITY COUNCIL GOALS AND WORK PLAN:
Consideration of conducting meetings in-person or remotely relates to the Council Goals “An Engaged Community,” “A Healthy and Compassionate Community,” and “A Strong City Workforce.”
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact related to the Council’s discussion of this item.
ORIGINATED BY:
City Manager's Office
ATTACHMENT LIST: