Board Of Aldermen - Minutes - 3/16/2020 - P33
Board of Aldermen 03-16-2020 Page 33
Director Bagley
Well thank you. Just as the idea was to reduce the opportunity for infection or to at least break the
chain of infection, this decision tree unlike with Police and Fire where they have to respond and they
have to go in and they have to deal with the emergent need of an individual. With this decision tree if
certain questions are asked in particular around the fever and the symptoms, if the answer is “yes”
then the inspector will postpone an inspection until further notice. If the answer is “no” then they go to
the next question which is “have you come into close contact with someone who has a laboratory
confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis”. If the answer to that is “yes”, again they are going to postpone the
inspection until further notice. If it is “no”, they can proceed with the routine inspection as usual but
following some social distancing guidance, that’s also written on the sheet as well. Avoid shaking
hands or direct contact because as a part of our culture we do tend to greet one another that way as
professionalism, but in this case, we want to make sure that that is avoided. Stay at least six feet
away from the individual at all times when possible. Minimize what you touch, while conducting the
inspection, again avoid touching your own eyes, nose and mouth. After completing the inspection,
was your hands at least 20 seconds and use hand sanitizer. So again putting some of those very
same, very basic prevention practices in place will help reduce exposure, contact and spread of this
infection.
Alderman Clemons
Thank you. So my question was going back to the quorum. We were briefly talking and so | am going
to direct it through you to Corporation Counsel. Is it your interpretation that we still need a quorum, a
majority of people present to establish a quorum under the State Law?
Attorney Bolton
In most cases, there is an exception requirement so it depends upon the exact circumstances. So why
is the meeting being held? What is the urgency of the meeting? If it is a near life or death situation
and there has to be a Special Board of Aldermen’s meeting and we find out about this eight hours in
advance, yeah, | think ;you can provide whatever notice is feasible under the circumstances and have
as many as necessary participate remotely. If this is an ordinary, regularly scheduled meeting and
most of what is on the Agenda is whether to put up a stop sign on some fairly small neighborhood
street, | don’t think that’s the kind of emergency that is going to allow physical participation of less than
a quorum.
Alderman Clemons
So | would just ask the President to think about if we are doing, we have to do meetings, that we take
a poll of members to find out, first of all who is going to be at the meeting, what is going to constitute a
quorum at that meeting and what is the maximum amount of people based on that that can call in?
And then prioritize who it is that can call in. If somebody is sick obviously, they’d be at the top but if
somebody is older than | am, then perhaps they would be on the top of the list as opposed to me
where | would probably be asked to come in. So | just think that there are some things that we can do
to keep business moving along and still follow the State Law. But obviously if we can cancel meetings
that would be preferable, but in the event that we have to, let’s see if we can work something out.
President Wilshire
OK will do.