PORT TOWNSEND — The Jefferson County commissioners will be the first of four governmental bodies in Jefferson County to resume in-person meetings after having conducted their gatherings remotely since March 2020.
The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Monday in the commissioners’ chambers at the Jefferson County Courthouse at 1820 Jefferson St., in Port Townsend.
Public meetings were conducted virtually since the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdown after Gov. Jay Inslee issued a proclamation waiving the statutory requirement that public meetings have facilities made available for people to attend.
“I’m very excited to be back in person,” said Kate Dean, commission chair. “I’m both really tired of Zoom meetings and I feel it has a chilling effect on the democratic process because people might not have good internet or don’t know how to use virtual platforms.
“So, I’m really excited to look people in the eyes again. There’s so much lost in virtual meetings.”
The Port of Port Townsend commissioners will discuss their eventual return to in person meetings at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Executive Director Eron Berg said.
The Jefferson County Public Utility District commission plans to reevaluate providing in-person meetings in September, said Will O’Donnell, communications director.
The Port Townsend City Council is in discussions as to how to have a hybrid in-person and virtual meetings, but are not expected to start having in-person attendees until at least August, said City Manager John Mauro.
People who plan to attend the in-person county commission meeting are asked to give themselves plenty of time to check in at the basement entrance.
Those who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will be required to show their physical copy or photo of their vaccination card or sign an attestation stating they’re fully vaccinated in order be in the courthouse without a face mask, Dean said.
Those who are not fully vaccinated or who do not show proof of vaccination or sign the attestation are required to wear a mask while in the courthouse. Those who chose to wear a mask even if fully vaccinated are allowed to do so.
“If people aren’t feeling well, they should stay home,” Dean said.
The commissioners’ chambers has a 49-person limit, allowing for 44 attendees after the three commissioners, the clerk of the board and the interim county administrator, Dean said.
If the number of attendees is severely over capacity, the commissioners may have to cancel the meeting due to potential Open Public Meetings Act violations, and so Dean urges residents who are able to still watch and/or participate remotely to do so if possible.
The meeting will be live-streamed through the county website at www.co.jefferson.wa.us. Click on “videos of meetings” under the “Quick Links” tab, and the live stream will be listed under “streaming live” on Monday, with additional instructions as to how to access the meeting via Zoom and by phone.
Public comments will be taken in person at the beginning of the meeting in person and through Zoom or phone. Written comments will continue to be accepted through jeffbocc@co.jefferson.wa.us email and will be added to the correspondence log, but won’t be read aloud at the meeting, county officials said.
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Jefferson County reporter Zach Jablonski can be reached at 360-385-2335, ext. 5, or at zjablonski@peninsuladailynews.com.
