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Palo Alto’s boards and commissions will likely continue to meet remotely at least until March. The City Council made the decision last week, citing the health risks of restoring in-person meetings during the pandemic.
The council agreed by a 6-0 vote, with Lydia Kou absent, on Dec. 14 to maintain remote meetings for the time being, a shift from its prior direction. In September, the council agreed to reconstitute in-person meetings for board and commissions in January. The council itself currently follows a “hybrid” model that gives council members the option of attending meetings in person or participating remotely.
But recent news about the quickly spreading omicron variant of COVID-19 has changed the city’s calculus. City Manager Ed Shikada asked the council to consider extending remote meetings for boards and commissions. Council member Alison Cormack agreed that this is a prudent move, given the continued health risks.
“While I’m hopeful that maybe infections are milder and that perhaps boosters provide protection, I don’t feel we have enough scientific determination at this time,” Cormack said.
Council member Greg Tanaka agreed, noting that some people still have a hard time obtaining a booster shot.
“I think health and safety must come first,” Tanaka said. “This variant is really disturbing in how fast and easy it is to spread.”
Not everyone agreed with the move. Palo Alto resident Rob Levitsky, who has regularly attended and participated in meetings pertaining to Castilleja School’s proposed campus reconstruction, said remote meetings create a disadvantage for residents seeking to weigh in on policy matters.
“The system that you set up may allow for people to talk, but it doesn’t allow for people to look into your eyes, it doesn’t allow people to bring storyboards or other items to reinforce their position,” Levitsky said. “And it’s been a tremendous disadvantage to anyone trying to question the status quo, especially when the planning department is with the proposal.”
But Tanaka and Vice Mayor Pat Burt both suggested that in-person meetings are less effective when council members and public speakers are wearing masks.
“Most of us yearn to be back in person and value that, except when we’re in person with masks on we don’t really see each other’s expressions and the public doesn’t see our expressions,” Burt said. “And our communication is better when we have full expression, provided that we have our cameras on.”
Cormack proposed further discussing the city’s policy on meetings at the council retreat early next year, at which time it will consider issues such as health risks and public access. Mayor Tom DuBois agreed that the city’s meeting policies should be based on guidelines from Santa Clara County.
“The goal is to resume in-person meetings as we continue to get back to normal, but it has to be subject to county health orders,” DuBois said.