• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Subscribe
Program Guide
Watch Live

CCX Media

Skip NavigationMenu
  • News
    • Close
        • CCX News
          • CCX News Home
          • Daily Newscast
          • News Stories
          • CCX News Special Reports
          • CCX Media Schools
          • Current Weather
          • COVID-19 Impact
          • Local Vote 2020
        • Feature Segments

          • Business Matters
          • School Spotlight
          • Standout Student
          • Weekend Showcase
          • Seasonal Features
        • News Tip

          Send us a story idea or news tip!
          Facebook Twitter
          Watch Live
          CCX1 | CCX2 | CCX3
    • Close
  • Sports
    • Close
        • CCX Sports
          • CCX Sports Home
          • Sports Tips
          • Sports Jam
          • Hall of Fame
          • Upcoming Event Coverage
          • Play of the Week
        • Sports Coverage

          Adapted SportsAdditional SportsBaseballBasketballFootball
          GymnasticsHockeyLacrosseSoccerSoftball
          Swimming & DivingTennisTrack & FieldVolleyballWrestling
        • Social Media

          Facebook Twitter
          Watch Live
          CCX1 | CCX2 | CCX3
          Shop/Order
    • Close
  • Cities
    • Close
        • CCX Cities
          • CCX Cities Home
          • The Connection
          • In The Community
          • Our Town’s Story
          • Community Resources
          • CCX Media Schools
          • City Meetings
          • COVID-19 Impact
          • Local Vote 2020
        • Your City

          Brooklyn Center
          Brooklyn Park
          Crystal
          Golden Valley
          Maple Grove
          New Hope
          Osseo
          Plymouth
          Robbinsdale
        • Social Media

          Facebook Twitter
          Watch Live
          CCX1 | CCX2 | CCX3
    • Close
  • Create
    • Close
        • CCX Create
          • CCX Create Home
          • Channels
          • Resources
          • Meet The Create Team
          • CCX Create Virtual Tour
        • Get Creative

          • Make Your Own Show
          • Free Classes
          • Contact Us
        • RueShare

          • Member Login
          • Member Guide
        • Social Media

          Facebook Twitter Instagram
          Watch Live
          CCX1 | CCX2 | CCX3
    • Close
  • Subscribe
  • Program guide
  • Watch Live
  • COVID Info

Local Cities Rethink Council Meetings

10:21 AM | Tuesday, March 17, 2020

As governments close public places due to the coronavirus outbreak, city councils are having to rethink how they hold their meetings. Northwest metro area councils are taking widely different approaches based on their particular needs and anticipated council attendance.

Brooklyn Park canceled its March 16 meeting by preventing a quorum. Council members were asked to stay away from city hall. Mayor Jeff Lunde used the regular council meeting time to make a special announcement explaining the cancellation.

“We want to take every precaution, not only for members of the public but also for our staff,” said Lunde, who also addressed the closure of Brooklyn Park’s city hall this week.

coronavirus

 

How COVID-19 is impacting our community

Find the latest CCX News COVID-19 stories here

 

The city is working on a plan to reopen city hall next week to provide essential services.

“We are diligently working on how we are going to continue to serve the public and make sure that we are providing service as needed for core functions.” 

Council Going Digital

Golden Valley will hold its meeting as scheduled tonight, March 17, but in light of the coronavirus, they are going digital. Mayor Shep Harris posted a video to Twitter explaining his city’s plans for handling the outbreak.

With Golden Valley City Hall closed, the council will meet electronically using conferencing software called WebEx. City Communications Director Cheryl Weiler said the setup will be “as close as we can get it to an in-person meeting.”

They’ll even have remote public participation. People wishing to address the council can call into the WebEx meeting at 415-655-0001. Once connected, they’ll enter the code 805 422 661 to join the council meeting. They’ll then be put into a queue and called on when it’s time for them to speak. Each citizen will be given three minutes to speak. Full details on how to participate are available here.

Harris says the city is prepared to conduct meetings this way for as long as necessary.

“I do think it’s sustainable,” he said. “We have the technology. What it will come down to is everyone collectively being patient, understanding, and frankly adjusting to the situation.”

Counting on lower numbers

Robbinsdale will hold its council meeting, also tonight, March 17, in city hall as usual. But in consideration of the novel coronavirus, the city is encouraging citizens not to attend in person. Instead, they can watch the meeting live here.

Mayor Regan Murphy says with the small size of his council, if the public doesn’t attend they’ll be below the recommended number of people in the same room.

“We’re pretty confident right now,” Murphy said. “We know people are staying home and avoiding large groups. We anticipate city hall to have less than 10 people tonight. We’re going to continue to follow the Minnesota Department of Health and CDC recommendations.”

The unified message from all of the cities CCX News talked to was that while the public should take the coronavirus outbreak seriously, there’s no need to overreact; while council meetings might be affected by the pandemic, essential city services such as police and fire will continue unabated. 

“We are prepared,” said Golden Valley’s Harris. “But we cannot afford to panic. We cannot afford to hoard supplies and food. We need to be patient. We need to be understanding. We need to support our friends, family, neighbors. We need to support our food shelves. And those who are going to be in vulnerable situations.”

For more area coronavirus coverage from CCX News, click here.


Brandon Bankston, Reporting

Brooklyn Park | Golden Valley | Robbinsdale

Related Stories

‘There’s So Many Firsts,’ North Hennepin Professor Shares Inauguration Perspective:  … Read More
Animal Humane Society: Adopt a Critter:  Staff members at the Golden Valley Animal Humane Society are… Read More
Local Women Wear Pearls to Commemorate First Female Vice President:  With the swearing in of the first… Read More
UPDATE: Man Found Shot in Vehicle in Robbinsdale ID’d:  Authorities have identified the man… Read More
1-19 COVID-19 Update: Brooklyn Center Among Nine Community Vaccination Sites, Seniors Wait for Hours to Register:  … Read More
Brooklyn Park EDA to Discuss Trail Along Brooklyn Boulevard:  The Brooklyn Boulevard trail would… Read More

Footer

NAVIGATE

  • CCX Media
  • NEWS
  • SPORTS
  • CITIES
  • CREATE
  • Job Opportunities
  • Meet the CCX Media Team
  • ABOUT CCX MEDIA
  • Annual Programming Reports
  • CABLE COMMISSION

SUBSCRIBE

Get email updates for daily story previews. “Week in Review” video links, and programming previews.

Subscribe Today

CONNECT

HAVE A NEWS TIP? CALL OUR TIPLINE AT:  763-533-1710
Send us story ideas and comments!
Get in touch with us
               
 NEWS   SPORTS
 SHOP/ORDER

LOCATION

CCX Media/NWCT
6900 Winnetka Avenue North
Brooklyn Park, MN 55428

Main Phone:  763-533-8196

CCX Media is a service of Northwest Community Television serving the northwest suburbs of Minneapolis, Minnesota, including Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Crystal, Golden Valley, Maple Grove, New Hope, Osseo, Plymouth and Robbinsdale.
Copyright © 2021 Northwest Community Television | All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Accessibility Statement
Web Design and Development by CEL Marketing PR Design and BizzyWeb | Log in