The Crescent City Council will hold a special meeting Friday to discuss whether it should allow councilors to participate in meetings via teleconferencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This special meeting comes after the Public Health Branch reported 25 new COVID-19 cases in Del Norte County, making for a total of 103 active cases as of Thursday, according to the county’s COVID-19 Information Hub.

City Councilors will consider a resolution authorizing the use of teleconferencing during public meetings, which is allowed during a “proclaimed state of emergency,” under California Assembly Bill 361.

The city’s proposed resolution mentions continued recommendations from Del Norte County public health authorities for people to maintain their physical distance in light of COVID-19 and the new Omicron variant.

The Crescent City Council will meet via Zoom at 4 p.m. To participate, call (253) 215-8782 and enter webinar ID 889 1514 8960.

The Crescent City Harbor District approved a similar resolution to allow its commissioners to participate in meetings via teleconferencing due to COVID-19. According to the district’s legal counsel, Ruben Duran, the need for discussing such a resolution arose after the Jan. 4 agenda had been posted.

“I’m going to put on the record here and now that we had members of the commission, and perhaps staff and community, who do not feel safe being in a room with other people in close proximity without knowing their vaccination and COVID status,” Duran said. “The five of you have important business to do for the community and you want to be able to do that in a way that is safe and comfortable.”

According to Duran, the Harbor District will need to make similar findings every 30 days to continue to allow commissioners to participate remotely.

Del Norte Unified School District and the County Office of Education continue to allow its trustees to participate remotely under AB 361.

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