Laramie’s city council has voted to remain holding meetings through Zoom format as opposed to reopening chambers for public, in person comment. They are, according to the Wyoming Press Association, the only local governing board in the state to continue remote meetings.
Despite growing public concern, and the availability of other meeting spaces with appropriate facilities, the majority of councilors feel confident in this decision.
The motion to reopen council meetings in a hybrid online/in person format was put forth by Councilor Bryan Schuster on October 4th, receiving only two yes votes out of nine available. Reasons stated for this decision included COVID19 concerns, specifically whether chamber facilities could accommodate all attendees while following health advisories like social distancing and proper ventilation.
All councilors who offered statements to the Branding Iron mentioned a desire to let newly elected Council members revisit the issue in January.
“I really thought it was going to pass.” Said Councilor Pat Gabriel, one of the two yes votes. “I just felt it was time. I am part of the tourism board and we have been meeting in person. Sports Games have opened back up, classes at the University have too.”
Events with a documented risk of outbreak and a much higher attendance rate than City Council meetings have been reintroduced to life in Laramie for many months. Even within city government, as described by councilor Gabriel, there have been meetings held in person and via a hybrid format.
Council candidate Brett Glass asserted he attended one such meeting held in a newly built facility north of town, The Municipal Operations Center. During the meeting, Glass was visible to in person participants as they met in the spacious building.
“I have an Immunocompromised family member that I can’t risk exposing. Even I feel shut out by the system reducing people to disembodied voices. Visual communication is key, and [city council] knows they are capable of running those meetings because they are doing it now.”
Members of the public have expressed to Council their frustration over the current and past comment system wherein they are not seen, or never selected to speak. Many, too, feel the system is inaccessible to people without the internet, or internet literacy.
“We are engaging more through digital than we are in person. I don’t feel that there is a complete communication loss, I still think that we get a large amount of contacts via phone calls, email, and face to face conversations. It’s just coming together for that one meeting,” Councilor Fred Schmechel said of the issue.
Councilor Brian Harrington also spoke to accessibility.
“Many people have actually found the online format more accessible. There’s a benefit for commuting community members,” said Harrington.
Harrington added he was aware of the Municipal Operations Center in North Laramie and thought it may be a suitable option for in-person meetings. Fred Schmechel was not aware of any facility which could accommodate in-person meetings. Other councilors declined to comment on the issue.
