The Greenville County council held a special meeting Friday afternoon where they voted to renew an ordinance to allow council members to participate in meetings via zoom call due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Newly elected councilman Rick Roberts said throughout the meeting that he thought the council should return completely to in-person meetings.
Other present council members were apposed to this, wanting to keep the option for members to participate remotely so as to protect council members, especially those most at risk, from the coronavirus pandemic.
"I can never support all in-person meetings, I mean everybody in-person. That just will not happen. I'm not coming around ya'll right now. I mean that is just recklessly irresponsible," said councilman Ennis Fant. "People are dying by the thousands, daily; not coming. So if there is not a provision for zooms, and if I don't have some insurance that [councilwoman Xanthene Norris] will not be trying to trot down there at 91 years old and meet with ya'll and can zoom in at home..."
The virtual option was voted to be kept for another 60 days with a vote of 8-1 in favor.
The county council also voted in favor of referring the second point on the agenda to their December 1st meeting.
This point regards the public's ability to speak at regularly scheduled council meetings about topics not listed on that meeting's agenda.
If approved on December 1st, this will relegate that action to taking place at the end of regularly scheduled council meetings.
