As budget decision looms, Manassas to hold remote meetings due to coronavirus

The Manassas City Council voted unanimously Wednesday night to allow remote meetings for the next six months during the coronavirus outbreak, as well as to allow individual council members to remotely participate while sick, disabled, or on vacation.

During the meeting, Manassas council members sat one chair apart while councilwoman Pamela Sebesky and Councilwoman Michelle Davis-Younger wore masks.

The voice of City Attorney Craig Brown was piped in through speakerphone, as he led the council through the legal ins and outs of holding remote meetings. Under the law, the city council must continue to have a quorum in order to vote and carry out the city’s business, as well as setting a date and time for the public meeting.

The decision comes as the council still must make a major decision and the city’s operating budget for Fiscal Year 2021 by the end of the month. With an advertised tax rate of $1.48 per every $100 of the assessed Real Estate property value in the city, the average homeowner in the city would see a $4,295 property tax bill — that’s about $22o more than the previous year.

The new budget takes effect on July 1, and Real Estate taxes are the key funding source for the city government.

Under the emergency order, for remote public meetings held through real-time electronic means (including audio, telephonic, video or other practical electronic media) without a quorum present in one location, and that prior to holding any such electronic meeting, the city must provide the public notice of the upcoming meeting at least three days in advance. 

The city also must tell people how to access and listen or view the public meeting remotely, and how they may participate and offer public comment.”  

Brown explained that the council will have to be able to view public comments in real-time during the electronic meeting and that it is “the most significant part of this ordinance.” Brown said that city staff will have to come up with a mechanism to allow citizen input during the electronic meetings. Several online conferencing services offer chat features built into the program.

Brown also explained that the mayor and city manager must limit the agenda to only things that are necessary for essential public services or time-sensitive, and that this will essentially “reflect the new reality that we are dealing with,” Brown said. Only those matters that absolutely need accomplished will be discussed during these meetings, he added.

The remote meetings are still subject to Virginia’s open meetings laws. Councilman Mark Wolfe motioned the resolution, and Councilman Ian Lovejoy seconded it. There was no discussion, and the resolution passed unanimously.

Brown said that the remote meetings ordinance is valid at most for six months, but that doesn’t mean that it has to stay in place for 6 months.  Brown said if the city needs more time, they can re-enact the ordinance. Additionally, the city council can repeal the emergency order before the six-month if needed. 

A total of 75 people in Virginia have died from the coronavirus as of today, with 3,645 reported cases (2,161 more than a week ago).