The Municipality of Chatham-Kent is mulling over a return to in-person public council meetings.
Mayor Darrin Canniff said as soon as they can be done safely, public council meetings will return.
"The issue has always been is that, with COVID, we can meet as council. But then when people want to come in then we have to start to limit various things," said the mayor. "Once we get back to normal that's when we can certainly open it up."
Canniff said councillors have been asked their thoughts about returning to an open format, but safety has always been the biggest issue. He said online meetings have worked well and municipal business is being done reasonably well online.
Chief Administrative Officer Don Shropshire said one advantage to meeting online is that community participation for the recent online budget meetings has surpassed previous years when the budget was deliberated in a public forum.
Shropshire noted face to face meetings such as the one held in Wheatley a few months ago have special circumstances.
He also said that online municipal meetings could continue for such occasions as inclement weather.
"I wouldn't be surprised to see a hybrid considered as an option," said Shrophire.
Meanwhile, Wheatley residents will have the opportunity to participate in a virtual community meeting on Saturday.
The municipality said the online meeting will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon and will have updates from provincial and local officials on the work done in the blast zone in downtown Wheatley to date. Residents who were evacuated from the area will also get information on the next steps in the investigation and support programs.
Those wishing to access the live meeting can do so through the municipality's Facebook site and YouTube channel.
Residents from the evacuation area will be given priority and are encouraged to submit questions in advance by emailing CKcommunications@chatham-kent.ca.
"We want to make sure we hear the voices of those who have been most affected," said Shropshire. "We will have information to share but we want to listen to what residents have to say as well."
Questions may also be submitted onscreen during the meeting.
The meeting will be posted on the municipal YouTube channel for those who can't attend.
