More Government Meetings Could Begin to Take Place, In Spite of Pandemic

According to a city staff report, more commission meetings could be on the horizon, and City Manager Steve Mermell said that next month the council could go back to its regular schedule.

“Staff is recommending that the City Council affirm that its Monday meetings take place at 2 pm by teleconference through the meeting of June 8, 2020, with the hope that the regular meeting schedule can be restored by June 15, 2020.”

Staff is also recommending that special meetings be convened for the purpose of closed sessions since public observation is not an element of those meetings,” according to a city staff report signed by Mermell.

Typically, the council meets in closed session on Monday before regular council meetings. Those meetings have not been happening since the pandemic forced many city hall officials to work from home.

City staff is also recommending the council affirm the meetings of the Planning Commission and Design Commission through June 15 and set priorities for the meetings of the standing committees of the City Council.

City staff is recommending no more than one additional public meeting of a City Council standing committee occur per week.

The meetings would be held online.

Last week, the Planning Commission met electronically for the first time since the city shut down council commissions and committees in response to the Coronavirus pandemic to discuss cannabis-related business.

The move led to criticism from some elected officials.

Several council members— including mayoral candidate— Victor Gordo — have called for a return to weekly council meetings and reopening local committees and commissions.

In a column for Pasadena Now and other news outlets, Gordo criticized “city leadership” for reconvening the Planning Commission to discuss cannabis-related business.

In his column, Gordo said some of the council members asked to keep the Council and committees working. In response, the city staff leadership argued that resources are limited and told us the technology is too challenging to figure out.

Gordo called for the city to reset its priorities.

“But, then city staff leadership proceeded to schedule a Planning Commission meeting to approve two cannabis permits for large retailers from outside of Pasadena. How is it that, in the middle of our greatest crisis, approval of two cannabis permits are prioritized above all else?”

Gordo called for the reopening of the EDTECH, Finance and Public Safety committees to address specific issues across the city.

The staff report describes the meetings as a staff intensive process because of the need for Brown Act compliance and public participation.

According to the staff report, cities across the state are wrestling with the technology used to produce telephonic meetings.

City staff was unable to identify any city in the state that is back to normal in terms of public meeting frequency under the new teleconferencing rules.

“We have to allow for the public to follow the meeting and participate which definitely adds to the complexity,” Mermell said.

Under the Brown Act, meetings still have to be noticed and public comment must be allowed. Due to social distancing requirements, an order by Gov. Gavin Newsom has removed a requirement allowing the public to address the body at teleconference conference locations and other meeting locations.