PEABODY — A giant sense of relief.
That’s how Councilor-at-Large Anne Manning-Martin feels about the City Council’s decision to reopen its meetings to the public beginning May 13.
Residents have been barred from attending council meetings at the Wiggin Auditorium since the start of the pandemic. But that’s about to change after Thursday night’s unanimous vote.
Manning-Martin said she has unsuccessfully pressed the council to open City Hall and then, meetings to the public for months.
“My thought has always been that when places like Subway and CVS, whose livelihoods depend on staying open, could figure it out in 24 hours and safely accommodate the public, we could also figure it out, but we didn’t want to have those discussions,” she said.
“We are all so trained now and know what to expect everywhere we go. I feel we could have been discussing this all along. I do feel that some people have been denied their opportunity to be heard, so I look forward to finally bringing them back to having their due process and having their voices heard. Knowing that will be happening soon is a giant sense of relief.”
Ward 5 Councilor Joel Saslaw said he is “ecstatic to see the public welcomed back to City Council meetings.”
Council President Mark O’Neill outlined the safety protocols, starting with mandatory mask wearing. Social distancing of six feet must be observed. Hand sanitizer will be available. Microphones will be sanitized after each use. The majority of seating will be in the upper balcony with accommodations made for those who cannot access that area.
During a Committee of the Whole meeting preceding the council meeting, the issue was discussed at length.
O’Neill said the reopening logistics need to be refined.
“We don’t want a wild, wild west situation,” he said. “Safety is our priority and we want to make sure that everyone goes home in the same condition they were when they came in. Ultimately, we need to make sure we don’t have people wandering around and not social distancing.”
Other councilors shared similar concerns.
Ward 2 Councilor Peter McGinn questioned whether attendees should be allowed to speak from their seats.
“I have questions about seats being set apart and restricted as we need to make sure everyone knows the rules and follows them,” McGinn said.
Manning-Martin had concerns over Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and open meeting law compliance.
“The elevators don’t go up to the balcony level, so if we have members of the public seated in the balcony, there could be ADA compliance issues,” she said. “Also once Gov. (Charlie) Baker’s executive order is rescinded, we will have to have a quorum in the Wiggin or it will be a violation of open meeting. That said, I am all in favor of allowing the public into our meetings. It’s long overdue. We can figure it out.”
Following a request for clarification on what will happen when Baker lifts the emergency order, City Clerk Allyson Danforth said, “as soon as the governor’s order expires, you won’t have the option for Zoom. There is a movement afoot to change that so Zoom is still an option, but that has not happened yet.”
Saslaw asked whether the council will now revert to having only one hearing on special permit applications (due to concerns over the public’s right to be heard, the council presently spreads hearings over two meetings).
“If a councilor cannot participate, there will be a second meeting,” O’Neill said. “My concern is the applicant has a full hearing, but if all are not in the building or attending by Zoom, I would think that there would be just one hearing. My concern is that applicants have due process.”
Manning-Martin said she believes members of the public will observe all safety protocols.
“After 14 months, we are all conditioned to restricted behavior,” she said. “So we don’t need to get bogged down in micromanagement. I trust that City Hall will keep everyone safe.”
Saslaw said that there is no substitute for in-person public participation.
“We’ll see where Zoom meetings end up in the process, but there is something about hearing directly from the public in the same room. There is no replacement for that.”
