Tuesday’s City of Pitt Meadows council meeting will be open to the public for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic kicked into high gear.
The council have been taking part in closed meetings using Microsoft Zoom in order to adhere to provincial physical distancing guidelines.
They will continue to do so, but with an opportunity for residents to watch and take part. A watch live link will be provided on the city’s website when the meeting begins at 7 p.m.
READ MORE: City of Pitt Meadows Launches Local Business and Services Listing
Mayor Bill Dingwall said he and chief administrative officer, Mark Roberts will make some initial comments but the intent for the meeting is to let the public hear what their elected officials have been up to in the last three weeks since they have had a council meeting for the public.
“We’re going to try and have the public write in their questions before the council meeting and they will get read during question and comment period,” Dingwall said.
“And for the end of the meeting, [residents will] be able to send [questions] in live.
The mayor said there will be staff monitoring emails, and putting the questions they receive before council.
“We’re trying to make sure we maintain the public engagement part and the transparency in pretty tough times and our IT department has just been doing great in helping us do so,” Dingwall said.
Some of the topics for discussion will be the local business and services listing, and the economic resiliency task force, and initiatives around connecting with some of the city’s vulnerable populations during an isolating time.
Dingwall said the city is putting a task force together focusing on contacting people who live alone.
“It’s really around connecting with the community who wants those points of contacts, and then putting either council members or volunteers in touch with them,” said Dingwall.
“That could involve driving to their house and being in their front yard, talking to them, or phoning them and touching base every day.
“It’s really around the whole mental health aspect and making sure people are checked in on.”
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