Newmarket council returned to meet in its chambers for the first time in more than 18 months as it began its hybrid meeting format Nov. 1.
The format allows for council members to attend meetings either in-person or remotely, allowing the same for any deputations. Mayor John Taylor, Deputy Mayor Tom Vegh and councillors Grace Simon, Jane Twinney, Christina Bisanz and Trevor Morrison attended in person, while councillors Bob Kwapis, Victor Woodhouse and Kelly Broome attended remotely.
Taylor said he felt the council did pretty good in its first hybrid meeting.
“This is going to be a bit of an experiment for us, but I’m sure it will go very, very well,” Taylor said. “It will provide, I think, some flexibility and options for everybody.”
Council decided on the policy in August as pandemic-related restrictions began to lift to allow for more in-person events. The policy is expected to continue into 2022, and will not penalize councillors who opt to attend remotely.
Taylor said the hybrid method also has the benefit for citizen engagement. He said more residents are participating in council meetings now that they can present remotely. That will continue, though citizens can also now make a deputation in person.
“That will, I think, be very much appreciated by our residents,” Taylor said. “We’ve noticed through COVID and through our Zoom meetings, we’ve had very high participation from the public in deputations and our meetings, and we believe part of the reason was because the Zoom option made it easier for people to do that from home.”
The move comes as the town also reopened its customer service centre at its municipal office. Services include general inquiries, tax payments, recreation program registration or payment, and bag tags. The town said more services will be available for in-person appointments only starting Nov. 8. Masks, physical distancing are required, as is COVID-19 vaccination for eligible residents. But digital services also remain available.
Most of the meeting agenda was council confirming motions made at previous committee meetings, including budget work, a zoning bylaw for massage parlours to put new rules into place, and an extension of the restaurant patio program. The meeting took approximately 27 minutes.
“That flexibility will, I think, be a great addition to our format here at the town,” Taylor said.
You can register to make an in-person or remote deputation by contacting [email protected].
