Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson plans to ask city council to return to in-person meetings by the end of March.
“In consultation with, and with the support of Kingston’s medical officer of health, Dr. Oglaza, at our March 1 council meeting I will be bringing forward a motion to move council back to in-person meetings starting March 22,” Paterson said.
The motion would come nearly two years since the decision was made to move city council and committee meetings online in Kingston.
Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson said last Wednesday that he would bring a motion a move back to in-person meetings by the end of next month, but only with the support of local public health.
The mayor appears to have that support.
“This is certainly an option that we now can consider with the province reopening,” said Dr. Piotr Oglaza, KFL&A’s medical officer of health.
“It’s based on the overall epidemiological situation in the province and also based on the situation locally, what we have in KFLA region. This is probably one of the safest regions in the province to consider this type of reopening.”
Dr. Oglaza said this type of move wouldn’t yet be recommended for settings like health care and long-term care facilities where vulnerable populations reside.
But for general population settings, it’s a good time to move ahead.
“I have confidence that that is the right direction for settings that are average risk,” Dr. Oglaza said.
Paterson said he has additional plans for moving forward with committee meetings after in-person council resumes.
“There will also be some direction to staff to then come up with a plan about what would then happen with other committee meetings and everything else that would involve council,” Patersons said. “So that will come March 1.”
City council was last presented with a motion on returning to in-person meetings in early September, which saw a 9-4 vote to retain the virtual meeting format.
This new motion is set to be moved by Paterson and seconded by Coun. Robert Kiley on March 1 and, if passed, will take effect March 22.