Spokane City Council to return to in-person meetings Monday

With the state’s indoor mask mandate ending this weekend, the Spokane City Council will return to in-person meetings on Monday.

The council’s 3:30 p.m. briefing and 6 p.m. legislative sessions will have in-person and virtual viewing options. Council members will meet in the council chambers at Spokane City Hall.

Presenters will have the option to conduct their presentations virtually, while Council President Breean Beggs said in-person attendees will be asked to socially distance themselves.

Council members discussed the return to in-person meetings during a study session Thursday. The council first moved to remote meetings two years ago when Gov. Jay Inslee first put restrictions on in-person meetings with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Councilmembers considered returning to in-person meetings this past summer, but decided to hold off in accordance to guidance from the city’s legal department.

While Beggs said they did not have any formal COVID-19 guidance from the state on open public meetings, the group decided they could meet safely under the current restrictions.

The meeting agenda is available on the city’s website. More information is also available on the City Council’s Facebook page.

The council will not require attendees to wear masks.

People will still be able to testify for public comment over the phone. A signup sheet will be circulated online, while a physical form will be posted in the Chase Gallery at Spokane City Hall.

Meanwhile, Monday’s council committee meeting at 1:15 p.m. will take place mostly virtually so the city can sort out any technical difficulties, Beggs said.