The County Council announced its intention to return to in-person council meetings today (March 15) at the council’s Rockville office building.
Residents and other interested people also will have the opportunity to attend the meetings and/or register to give testimony at the meetings; full vaccinations for attendees are strongly encouraged.
In addition, the council said that it would continue to allow people to testify remotely.
“One of the things we have learned during the pandemic is that giving our residents the opportunity participate in the legislative process remotely has expanded the diversity of views expressed on essential public policy issues and has greatly increased participation,” Council President Gabe Albornoz (D-At Large) said in a press release.
“Maintaining the option to testify remotely at council public hearings allows us to hear from residents who may otherwise not be able to join an in-person meeting because of job responsibilities, childcare concerns or mobility issues,” he added.
In addition, residents can continue to provide prerecorded audio or video testimony to the council, which is posted on the council’s webpage, as well as submit written testimony.
Interested parties can sign up online to testify for a public hearing on Zoom or in person.
The return to in-person committee meetings is pending as staff and councilmembers receive training on new technology in the third floor hearing room.
County Council photo