A member of the media listens to council proceedings from behind the glass wall separating the City Hall foyer from the council chamber. (Alison Sandstrom/paNOW Staff)

By Alison Sandstrom

Adapting to COVID-19

P.A.city council hosts unique meeting with a few hiccups

Apr 7, 2020 | 6:49 AM

Prince Albert City Council has made it through their first meeting using a new format adopted to limit the spread of COVID-19.

To comply with provincial public health orders and prevent more than ten people from being in the same room, three councillors and the Mayor met in the council chambers, while five more councillors joined by teleconference.

“I was happy with the way it went,” Coun. Dennis Ogrodnick who joined over the phone, told paNOW after the meeting. “There were a few times when I couldn’t hear people, but those are growing pains, I’m sure they’ll work them out.”

Audio from the phone lines was bridged into the chamber’s existing audio system and then piped into the city hall lobby for staff and media to listen to.

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For the most part, the system worked, although some comments by staff and councillors were inaudible and there were some minor points of confusion over procedure.

Staff and media watch proceedings from desks set up in the city hall foyer. (Alison Sandstrom/paNOW Staff)

Asked if it might be easier to have all councillors on a teleconference or meet on an online platform like Zoom, Ogrodnick said that wasn’t his decision to make.

“I’m not going to say that, it’s not my call, it’s the call of the Mayor and I’m going to support how he proceeds with this,” he explained.

Meanwhile, Mayor Greg Dionne said they will work on improving audio quality for the next meeting.

“You know there’s still a few bugs to work out, but I thought it went very well,” he explained, speaking after the meeting.

Councillors will convene again on Wednesday afternoon for a special meeting to discuss taxes and utility fees in response to COVID-19.

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alison.sandstrom@jpbg.ca