City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: APRIL 8, 2020
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
JOANNA ANDERSON, CITY ATTORNEY /s/
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Introduction and First Reading. Consideration. Passage on First Reading of an ordinance to ensure the continuity of city government, implementing emergency procedures, modifying public meeting requirements and public practices and procedures in order to address continuity of operations associated with the COVID-19 Pandemic Disaster.
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ISSUE: Consideration of an emergency ordinance to implement procedures and processes for public meetings and other public procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic disaster.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council introduce the ordinance, pass the ordinance on first reading, and hold a public hearing on the ordinance on April 18, 2020, and after public hearing, adopt the ordinance on April 18, 2020.
DISCUSSION: On March 24, 2020, the City Council adopted an emergency ordinance for the continuity of government. Since the City Council has a regular meeting scheduled and the need for the emergency ordinance still exists, the ordinance is being re-introduced as a regular ordinance rather than an emergency ordinance for City Council's consideration.
The continuity of government ordinance provides an additional mechanism for the City Council and other public bodies to meet electronically without a quorum in the room given that the circumstances of COVID-19 pandemic may make it unsafe to meet in person. As always, public bodies must adhere to the requirements of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (VFOIA) and allow public access to meetings to the greatest extent possible. Therefore, the dockets for the electronic meetings without a quorum in the room will be limited to just those items necessary to be discussed and decided immediately...
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