By John Leopold, Supervisor, First District
When one door closes, another one may open. Since March when Dr. Gail Newel, County Public Health Officer, issued one of the first Shelter-In-Place orders in the state, local government has gone through some changes in the ways in which we connect with constituents, hold public meetings, and carry on the business of municipal government. Some of the changes have been long sought and others require us all to adjust to our new circumstances.
First District Supervisor John Leopold hosts a July 22 Town Hall with Dr. Gail Newel that attracted 100 attendees on Zoom with a replay on YouTube.
None of us were completely prepared to shut down regular business and social activity when the shelter-in-place order was issued.
The order required immediate action to limit gatherings of people and to stay close to home for all but essential activities. This early action produced great results to slow the spread of the virus and likely saved many lives. The first order of business was creating the infrastructure to handle a surge in illness that could dwarf the local medical system, like we saw later in New York City.
County staff worked diligently with all our partners in health care to create the additional space and identify the supplies needed to handle the possible surge. Faced with a shortage of supplies, local residents offered their services, sewing hundreds of face coverings, donating food and other needed supplies, and replacing volunteers for programs that relied on seniors who were now at greater risk.
The Sheriff reorganized his deputies to have more out in the community, prepared the morgue for deaths on a scale that we have never seen before, and worked to limit the spread of the virus in our jail.
At the County government building, life also changed quickly. The County Administrative Officer was already working on a plan to increase telework options for County employees. The issuance of the shelter-in-place order accelerated that effort, and hundreds of County employees began working at home as we shut down most services to the public.
Local government meetings also changed throughout the county. Most city councils have gone to all virtual meetings, made possible by a change in state law. At the County Board of Supervisors, we have maintained a public meeting but allow participation from Supervisors who choose to participate over the web.
Our chambers have also changed. We require everyone to wear a face covering and we have only about 13 socially-distant seats, but we have added a second seating area in the community room in the basement of the building that allows for another 20 people to attend the meeting and have their comments broadcast to the chambers.
For the first time, we are taking public comments online as part of a commitment to provide new ways for the community to give their testimony.
Most of the meetings of other boards and commissions on which Supervisors also serve are being done virtually as well. While there are several different formats and a couple of hiccups along the way, it represents a commitment to reach the public as we move our way through this pandemic.
Communication with constituents also changed rapidly. Gone are the meetings in public, but it their place are increases in email communications and new formats to talk about the critical issues. I have held nearly weekly constituent meetings for the last 12 years, but quickly moved online with Facebook Live meetings at first, then telephone Town Halls, and currently Zoom Town Halls.
These meetings have featured our health leaders, school leaders, and public safety professionals to answer questions directly from the community. I have been sending almost weekly email updates to constituents to combine all the new information and point people toward resources.
As we have seen, this pandemic is not close to being over.
We are all going to need to adjust the ways in which we connect with our friends, family, and local officials. It will be imperative for County government to remain committed to inclusion and provide ample opportunities for people to participate.
If we all can change what we do by wearing face coverings, staying at least six feet away from those who don’t live in our houses, washing our hands thoroughly, and not going out when we are sick, we can beat this virus and return to the traditional ways we have interacted.
Until then, join us in new ways as we continue the work of local government.
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To view John Leopold’s July 22 Town Hall with Dr. Gail Newel on COVID-19, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G6su3ugceU