After 19 months of virtual board meetings, the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners will return to meeting in person starting on Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021. Board meetings first moved to a fully virtual format on March 18, 2020, in order to slow the spread of COVID-19 through public gatherings.
Board meetings will proceed under a hybrid model, which will integrate virtual and in-person presentations and testimony. Meetings will continue to be livestreamed on the Multnomah County Board YouTube channel, as well as the County’s Granicus page. The board considers items to be voted on at their regular meetings on Thursdays at 9:30 a.m. Briefings are held on Tuesdays at 10 a.m.
Community members will also be able to resume attending the meetings in the Multnomah Building, located at 501 Southeast Hawthorne Blvd., Portland, in Boardroom 100.
“Reopening our boardroom aligns with the County's commitment to running safe, accessible and inclusive board meetings for our community members,” said Chair Deborah Kafoury. “While the pandemic isn’t over, this step is part of our ongoing efforts to safely open up our facilities and services.”
The following health and safety policies and protocols have been put in place for anyone who attends a meeting in the boardroom:
- Everyone will be masked inside the boardroom at all times, including while speaking into the microphone at the dais.
- Attendees will be spaced at least three feet apart. Chairs will be blocked to remind people to practice social distancing.
- The boardroom is restricted to 50 percent capacity (95 people).
- Hand sanitizer will be available throughout the boardroom.
- Anyone refusing to wear a mask will be asked to leave the building.
Members of the public who want to testify in person on agenda or non-agenda items may use the forms available in the boardroom to sign up. Those who wish to provide public testimony virtually can continue to use the virtual public testimony form to sign up to testify or to submit written testimony.
Both the building and the boardroom are wheelchair accessible. Assisted Listening Devices may be requested by contacting the Board Clerk 48 hours prior to the meeting.
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