San Rafael, CA – After a month of fully electronic meetings because of sheltering orders, the Marin County Board of Supervisors has created a call-in option for residents to participate by phone during the Board’s open time for public expression or particular agenda items.
For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic caused Board of Supervisors meetings to go virtual, residents will be able to call in to participate in the meetings.
The phone number is 669-900-6833. The webinar identification number and a password will be posted the
Board’s meeting archive webpage on the Tuesday morning prior to each Board meeting. Callers will need to dial the number, enter the webinar ID and password, and will be connected to the audio feed of the meeting.
The new process will be introduced during the Board’s May 19 videoconference meeting. The Board’s last traditional in-person meeting inside the Marin County Civic Center was March 31. Its first videoconference meeting was April 14.
The Board members have logged in via videoconferencing software during the COVID-19 pandemic shelter-in-place orders. The meetings are shown on the County of Marin official Facebook page, on the Community Media Center of Marin (CMCM) website and on Novato Community Television (NCTV). Comcast TV subscribers can watch on channel 27. Videos of Board meetings are also recorded and available for later viewing on the Board’s archive webpage and on the Facebook feed.
Email is another way that residents may have their voices heard on agenda topics. Written comments may be submitted to the Clerk of the Board via bos@marincounty.org. Comments received by 3:30 p.m. the day before the scheduled meeting will be shared with the Board members and will be placed into the public record. Residents are reminded that comments left under the Facebook live session are not entered into the public record.
“We appreciate the patience the residents have shown as we have needed some time to adapt to this new way of doing business – not only for the Board and our residents, but also for staff,” County Administrator Matthew Hymel said. “While we need to adhere to the requirements of the public health order, we also need to continue delivering essential County services upon which our residents rely.”
During the COVID-19 emergency, governments all over the country are adjusting to new challenges in meeting participation and compliance with laws that protect informational transparency and public participation in municipal decision-making. Recent action by Governor Gavin Newsom allows public agencies more electronic flexibility in how they conduct meetings during the shelter-in-place order.
Once the shelter-in-place order is lifted, the County will return to public meetings on site.