AKRON, Ohio — EDITOR'S NOTE: The video in the player above is from a previous story.
Akron City Council says, it is going back to holding all of its meetings virtually, after the latest data on COVID-19 in the county from Summit County Public Health.
In a release, the city cites data from both Summit County Public Health and the CDC. The data tracker shows the case total is 120 cases per 100,000 residents for the period of time between Aug. 16 - Aug. 22. The CDC transmission rate remains at "high" in Summit County, and the CDC Area of Concern Category for the county changed to "sustained hotspot."
“We want to do our part in modeling COVID mitigation strategies and ensuring the health and well-being of council members, the administration, and the residents of Akron,” said Akron City Council President Margo Sommerville. She went on to say, “We have been proactive in making the necessary legislative changes to continue to serve and conduct business in the current environment. So out of an abundance of caution, we are going to resume meeting virtually.”
Because of the change, members of the media and the public will not have in-person access to the meetings beginning September 20. However, they can be viewed online, where they will be streamed via YouTube. This can be accessed at www.akroncitycouncil.com. If the public wishes to participate in the meeting, they can still do so by filling out a Public Comment Form and submitting it to publiccomment@akronohio.gov. The forms must be submitted by 4:30 p.m. on the day of the meeting. Then, information on how to join the meeting virtually will be sent to the person requesting it.
However, the press release states, "Those that wish to appear in Council Chambers for the public hearings already scheduled to take place on September 13th may do so. A staff member will be available to assist. Those that wish to participate in the September 13th public hearings via videoconference should contact the Clerk’s Office at 330-375-2256 or sbiviano@akronohio.gov."
EDITOR'S NOTE: The video in the player below is from a previous story.