By Marty Gordon
Social distancing and self-quarantining are two phrases most of us are not accustomed to, but they are becoming second nature in the midst of the coronavirus COVID-19 epidemic. Earlier this week, both the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors and the Christiansburg Town Council held their regular meetings in a manner that was unique. They used public distancing of at least six feet between each member of the governmental bodies and some extra caution in keeping public numbers to under 10 people.
Christiansburg Mayor Michael Barber said meetings of the town council must continue as the governmental body is charged with the responsibility of conducting business and making decisions.
“We have researched opinions from our attorney, as well as the Attorney General, and are trying our best to conduct our meetings to reflect transparency while following directives from both,” the mayor said. “We had proper spacing of the council and staff and our audience. We followed examples of how other municipalities conducted their meetings and believe we were in line with those examples.”
Christiansburg town spokesperson Melissa Demmitt said town hall was reopened to the public during the meeting. The council chambers, however, were set up to allow for social distancing.
“We encouraged members of the public to watch the meeting virtually, rather than attending in person. The town live streamed the meeting on our Facebook page, and we uploaded the video to our YouTube channel and website following the meeting,” Demmitt said.
In reviewing the unusual situation, Barber said he firmly believed the number of council and staff present and the social distancing were at an acceptable level considering the business at hand.
Staff present included finance director Val Tweedie, who gave a presentation on the upcoming budget; Christiansburg town manager Randy Wingfield; assistant Christiansburg town manager Andrew Warren; and Demmitt.
Fire Chief Billy Hanks and Police Chief Mark Sisson were also in the building and came into the chambers during one portion to give an update on COVID-19 operations. Planning Director Will Drake was also in the building and came into the chambers to speak on an agenda item. There were two members of the public present.
Last week, Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring said social distancing has required governing bodies and councils to reconsider holding public meetings in-person or in close quarters.
His opinion stated Virginia law allows public bodies to hold meetings electronically if the purpose of the meeting is to address the existing emergency, including meetings “to make decisions that must be made immediately and where failure to do so could result in irrevocable public harm.”
“This guidance will ensure that local governments and other public bodies can provide services, make decisions, and address Virginians’ needs while remaining open, transparent, and accountable to the public during this unprecedented emergency,” said Herring.
Steve Fijalkowski, the chairman of the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors, said this current time will go down in the history books as “uncharted territory.”
He and other members of the board thanked the county’s school system for stepping up to the plate and taking care of students who are stuck at home because schools are closed.
County spokesperson Jennifer Harris said the dedicated board of supervisors wanted to both respect the current COVID-19 restrictions in place on gatherings to help keep the community, county employees, and themselves safe, as well as to continue to move forward with necessary business items.
In an effort to accomplish those main goals, three board members participated by conference call during the Monday regularly scheduled meeting ,and seating was arranged for those present at the meeting with the recommended social distancing.
In addition, citizens were encouraged to submit comments in advance of the March 23 meeting. Finally, the meeting was streamed live on the Montgomery County YouTube channel in an effort to accommodate citizens who wanted to participate virtually.
As a result of all of these efforts, the first– ever live streamed meeting of the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors was successful.
“We will continue to explore virtual meeting options during the COVID-19 outbreak in an effort to keep the citizens, the Board members and the county employees safe,” said Harris. “Montgomery County will continue to seek and receive counsel from our federal, state and local public health and elected officials as we navigate the COVID-19 outbreak.”
The coronavirus has put the nation in a totally different area that most people have never experienced, Mayor Barber said.
“We must and will continue to conduct town business while keeping the safety and well-being of our citizens and staff in mind,” the mayor said. “We are facing the COVID-19 head on, and I feel the actions of the Montgomery County Public Health Task Force, formed by local health, public safety, education and government agencies from Montgomery and surrounding areas, has placed us well ahead of any other locality in the state in preparing for what may lie ahead.”