Scugog bringing back in-person meetings

DAN CEARNS, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, for The Standard

SCUGOG: The Township of Scugog is working on a plan to bring councillors back into council chambers.

At a recent meeting, Scugog Council voted to have Council, General Purpose, Administration, and Planning and Community Affairs meetings return to an in-person format on Monday, March 28th. However, the motion also stated, the April 11th meeting will be held virtually, due to “construction in Council Chambers.” In addition, one or two more meetings could also be held virtually, to accommodate the construction schedule.

To make sure there are options for staff and public participation, the motion read, “if deemed feasible by the Clerk, electronic participation [will] be permitted for members of staff and the public, and the Clerk [be directed to] develop guidelines to facilitate any electronic participation.”

Regional Councillor Wilma Wotten explained it’s important for Council to be a beacon of hope for residents.

“I believe it’s important for us, where possible, to return back to normal, just as we’re asking everyone else [to do,] and everyone else in the public is doing their best to return back to normal,” Councillor Wotten said.

She added, she doesn’t want to see this term of council end before councillors have had a chance to be back in council chambers. Ward 3 Councillor Robert Rock described it as an “extremely important step to showing the Township is returning back to a level of normalcy.”

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