City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: APRIL 24, 2020
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Discussion of Proposed Plan for Docket Items for Virtual Meetings of City Council and Boards and Commissions during the COVID-19 Emergency.
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ISSUE: What should the subject matter of virtual meetings for City Council for the next month? What guidance in regard to virtual meetings should be given to City Boards and Commissions?
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council:
(1) Adopt the plan for limiting City Council's docket in May as outlined in this report,
(2) Provide guidance to City Boards and Commissions as outlined in this report, and
(3) Reassess the plan for June and July meetings near the end of May.
BACKGROUND: Up to this week, the Commonwealth of Virginia had provided guidance that public bodies may meet electronically without a quorum in the room ("Virtual Meeting") in order to address the following:
1. Matters involving addressing the emergency (in this case COVID-19).
2. Decisions that if not made immediately, will have irreparable harm to the public interest.
3. If an ordinance is considered by the local governing body, it would need to be for those matters that are required for the continuity of government (necessary to continue the essential functions of the government).
Due to the emergency, and using the above definitions, the City has made an effort to cancel all meetings that are not necessary. For the few meetings that have been deemed necessary, the meetings have been Virtual Meetings and the agenda items have been limited to just those discussing the COVID-19 emergency or those that if not decided would cause irreparable harm.
For the City Council, this has meant meetings focused on the COVID-19 emergency, budget and tax decisions, and decisions on City projects that wer...
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