A councillor shared his fears about coming into a room with dozens of people for a meeting because he is highly vulnerable to covid infection.
His comments came as Green and Labour councillors agreed to limit attendance at the next full council meeting next Thursday (3 February) to 14 councillors to reduce the risk of covid transmission.
The decision was made by senior members of Brighton Hove City Council at Hove Town Hall yesterday (Thursday 27 January).
At the council’s Policy and Resource Committee meeting Labour councillor Daniel Yates said that the recommendation to have 14 members rather than 40 – as originally envisaged – at the full council meeting was intended to protect councillors and officials who were clinically vulnerable.
He said that he had carried out his job as an NHS manager and his council work from home throughout the pandemic because he was extremely clinically vulnerable.
Councillor Yates said: “Coming into this room scares me. The thought of coming into this room with 40 other people sat in it scares me more.
“I understand what the level of risk is to me of catching covid – and I would quite like to see the end of this pandemic out.”
Before councillors start the formal meeting of the full council meeting, a virtual public engagement session has been scheduled for 4.30pm so that residents can ask councillors questions and hand in petitions.
The virtual session will also include questions from councillors. Any petitions with enough signatures to trigger a debate will go before the full council.
The law requires councillors be present to vote when they make decisions but not to answer questions which is why the meeting is to take place in two parts.
Green and Labour councillors also backed holding the annual “budget council” meeting for all 54 councillors at the Brighton Centre on Thursday 24 February. The bigger meeting space there will allow for social distancing.
The council’s executive director for governance, people and resources, Abraham Ghebre-Ghiorghis, said that there were welcome signs of improvement in the covid pandemic infection rate.
But there was still a risk to councillors, officers and the public if the council chamber was too crowded, he said.
By limiting numbers in the chamber for decision-making and holding a separate virtual public engagement session, Mr Ghebre-Ghiorghis said that the council would “maintain the vibrant democratic engagement” experienced in Brighton and Hove.
He said: “We have got a very lively and vibrant democratic engagement process. We have more public questions, more deputations, more petitions, more member questions and motions than any other local authority that we are aware of – and that is something to be proud of.
“It does pose a challenge in terms of adopting a system and a way of working that is safe.”
Green councillor Hannah Clare said that the precautions demonstrated care for the clinically extremely vulnerable and that the council was taking the risks seriously.
Councillor Clare said: “We have already had meetings where councillors have then had a positive covid test, as a result, including a meeting of this committee where I had a positive test after the meeting, and I’d put everyone at risk because I was forced to come into the chamber.
“Luckily, everyone is fine and well and no one caught it from me. We have to be clear that there is still a risk to the pandemic and we cannot go back to where we were.”
Conservative councillor Mary Mears said that councillors should not treat themselves differently to the rest of the city when NHS staff, shop workers and bus drivers were working.
She said: “I do understand the nervousness for some councillors if they’re not vaccinated or have underlying health issues but I think we need to be part of the city, not separate.
“The economy of the city is desperate to open up. It has to open up to survive.”
The committee voted eight to two for reduced numbers at the full council meeting next week and to continue meeting at Hove Town Hall.
Those attending meetings in person will continue to wear masks unless they have an exemption – and the council will keep the arrangements under review.
The full council meeting is due to start at 6.30pm next Thursday (3 February) at Hove Town Hall although it may start later if the virtual public engagement session at 4.30pm overruns.
The proceedings are scheduled to be webcast on the council’s website.
Why not just let those councilors that are clinically vulnerable/ unvaxinated attend by Zoom and let everyone else attend as normal, pretty much like most of the other workers in the city. We have 650 MPs attending Parliament surely 40 councillors should not be an issue?
In Brighton, the Green/Labour alliance likes dipping into the public purse but don’t want to be anywhere near the public in person, only on a video call.
Says all we need about the Green/Labour alliance councillors.
The real questions is – in this day and age – why bother meeting in person at all? What value does that give, and how does that stack up to the operational costs of a large meeting venue (that could be used for other things)?
So you ask why must the Green/Labour alliance Brighton and Hove councillors not meet people, when national MPs do?
Extrapolate that further.
Get everyone to stay at home, from children to pensioners.
Oh wait, “some guy” wants a permanent lockdown.
I think we should definitely review what office work needs to happen in an office, yeah. It would certainly help with our traffic problems.
There’s significant benefits to members of the public contacting councillors (and MPs, etc.) online rather than in person. Dashing off an email or attending a virtual meeting is much easier for almost everyone of working age, and allows for a far greater number of people seen. If you insist on in-person communications, it basically rules out anyone with a child to look after or a job to attend.
Disgraceful anti-democratic decision making process
It’s about time the council started to deliver services they have got Lazy.
Further proof that BHCC is unfit for purpose.
The Council is serving itself and not the residents.
The joke has gone too far
If the government allowed councillors to vote remotely then this would not be an issue but they won’t