Lemoore's public will have to tune in, go online to attend Lemoore City Council meetings

By The Leader Staff
City leaders are closing public meetings to Lemoore City Council meetings, but constituents may still ask questions and comment via Youtube, Facebook and email.
City leaders are closing public meetings to Lemoore City Council meetings, but constituents may still ask questions and comment via Youtube, Facebook and email.

The normal give and take between constituents and their local leaders are being placed on hold as Lemoore officials announced Monday (March 30) that given the current shelter-in-place order covering California and the social distance guidelines issued by federal, state, and local authorities, city leaders have implemented new rules for attendance and public comment at future Lemoore council meetings.

Lemoore's "public" can still watch their local leaders in action – at council meetings, but they'll have to do it at a distance. They will also be able to comment or question their local leadership. Lemoore's next regular council meeting is April 7 at 7:30 p.m. A study session is often held at 5:30 p.m. Council members meet the first and third Tuesdays of the month.

All upcoming regular and special city council meetings will only be accessible online.  The meeting may be viewed with the following options: 

Youtube: www.Youtube.com/c/cityoflemoore

The city will also provide links to streaming options on the city's website and its Facebook page.  Unfortunately, say officials, physical attendance by the public cannot be accommodated given the current circumstances and the need to ensure the health and safety of the city council, city staff, and the public as a whole. 

If citizens want to make a general public comment or public comment on a particular item on the agenda, her or she must submit their public comments by email to cityclerk@lemoore.com.  In the subject line of the email, please state your name and the item.

If the constituent wishes to submit a public comment on more than one agenda item, he or she is being asked to send a separate email for each agenda item.  Please be aware that written public comments, including the constituent's name, may become public information. Additional requirements for submitting public comments by email are provided below. 

General public comments and comments on city council business items  

For general public comments and queries regarding specific city council business items, all public comments must be received by email no later than 5 p.m. on the day of the meeting.  Comments received by this time will be read aloud by a staff member during the applicable agenda item, provided that such comments may be read within the normal three (3) minutes allotted to each speaker. 

Any portion of your comment extending past three (3) minutes may not be read aloud due to time restrictions.  If a general public comment or question on a business item comes after 5 p.m., officials will read the feedback into the record.  However, staff cannot guarantee that written comments received after 5 p.m. will be read.  All written comments that are not read into the record will be made part of the meeting minutes, provided that such comments come before the end of the council meeting. 

Public Hearings

For public comment on a public hearing, all public comments must be received by the close of the public hearing period.  All comments received by the close of the public hearing period will be read aloud by a staff member during the applicable agenda item, provided that such comments may be read within the standard three (3) minutes allotted to each speaker.  Any portion of your comment extending past three (3) minutes may not be read aloud due to time restrictions.  If a comment on a public hearing item comes after the close of the public hearing, it will be made part of the meeting minutes, provided it comes before the end of the meeting. 

*PLEASE BE AWARE THAT ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS RECEIVED THAT DO NOT SPECIFY A PARTICULAR AGENDA ITEM WILL BE READ ALOUD DURING THE GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT PORTION OF THE AGENDA.*

City officials thank the public for its cooperation. The community's health and safety are their highest priority.

 

Lemoore's public will have to tune in, go online to attend Lemoore City Council meetings

 

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