Others present:  City Manager Greg Clifton; City Attorney Sterling Solomon.

Mr. Solomon stated that under the City Charter the Mayor served as the head of the city for ceremonial purposes, they preside over the meetings, and Council makes decisions on the direction the city will go. The Mayor was authorized to issue a declaration of emergency and proclamations related to that declaration. Mayor Evans issued an emergency declaration and subsequent proclamations in response to the pandemic. The Governor then issued an executive order that essentially pre-empted the Mayor’s authority to close things down.
 
Mayor Evans asked if she had the ability to cancel or change a meeting format through a social media post. Mr. Solomon stated that meetings of the City Council were to be scheduled at a certain time and that was also governed by the City Charter and the City Council Rules of Procedure. A Special Meeting could be called by the Mayor, the City Manager, or three Councilmembers. Regular meetings could not be changed unilaterally. Any changes to a meeting must be made seven days in advance and the City Council had to make that decision. The City Council took action to suspend the Rules of Procedure and granted authority to the City Manager to adjust the time and order of the meeting agendas.
 
Mayor Evans clarified that the suspension of the Rules of Procedure was done in an open meeting and with a majority vote of the Council. Mr. Solomon responded yes.
 
Mayor Evans asked about the upcoming Council swearing in and Council Retreat. Mr. Clifton stated that there had been much discussion about the swearing in ceremony within the context of COVID and the restrictions that had been in place. Historically the inauguration was held in person and the suggestion was to have limited attendance and within full compliance of the existing guidelines in place for Phase 3 of the Re-entry Plan. There would be a limit of one guest per Councilmember in the Council Chambers that allowed for adequate distancing. The suggestion was presented to the incoming Councilmembers, and they were supportive. It was decided to proceed with the understanding that changes could happen if the circumstances warranted it.
 
Mr. Clifton went on to explain that the day and a half retreat would cover a myriad of topics that would include a four-hour session that would focus on team building among the Council. It was deemed strategic and beneficial to have the team building portion of the retreat conducted in person. The in person portion would adjourn and the remainder of the retreat would be held virtually. The in-person component could occur safely and would not violate the social distancing expectations. It would be held at the Aquaplex and the attendees would consist of the seven councilmembers, the facilitator, and the City Clerk in the room at one time. Each person would have their own table and masks required.
 
Mayor Evans expressed frustration about statements made on Facebook stating that the current Council was attempting to turn the retreat into an in-person meeting. That was not true and the purpose of the Council meeting today was to discuss the upcoming events and how to carry those out.
 
City Clerk Stacy Saltzburg provided a brief overview of what the orientation and training would include and the corresponding schedule.
 
Councilmember Elect, Becky Daggett addressed Council and stated that she initially had concern about the swearing in and upcoming retreat. After hearing the plans and precautions that would be in place, she was less concerned. She would be comfortable attending in person if proper precautions were in place.
 
Councilmember Elect, Miranda Sweet addressed Council and stated that when she was asked about the swearing in being in person, she was supportive. It was a milestone for those elected. She would support the decision of the Council and what they were comfortable with. She preferred in person with proper precautions; she felt it would result in greater relationship building with each other.
 
Mayor Elect, Paul Deasy addressed Council and stated that the Council must lead by example and show the front line that they respect and support them. The numbers had gone up and it was not the time to take unnecessary risk. He would not participate in the swearing in or retreat in person.
 
Councilmember Aslan stated that he agreed that numbers were increasing, and Council would make a decision on the path forward with the upcoming events. He stated that the conversation should end with the decision of Council and uphold the voice of the majority.
 
Council discussed possible options for attendance at the retreat including a postponement. Mr. Clifton asked that they try and avoid postponement. The teambuilding portion was important, and the information presented during the orientation portion was extremely important to hit the ground running. Staff was prepared to accommodate virtually if that was the direction of Council.
 
Following discussion, Council direction was to move forward with an in person retreat on December 16, 2020, at the Aquaplex and for the swearing in ceremony offered virtually and in-person.