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REMOTE PARTICIPATION POLICY FOR MEETINGS OF THE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS DURING THE PERIOD OF THE <br /> COVID-19 EMERGENCY WITHIN LEE COUNTY <br /> WHEREAS, The Board of County Commissioners adopted a remote participation policy for meetings of <br /> the County Board of Commissioners on January 5, 2015 which allows for Commissioners, in very limited <br /> circumstances,to participate remotely in official meetings of the Board; and <br /> WHEREAS, the policy of remote participation limits the Commissioner from not being allowed to make <br /> motions or vote at the meeting, only to participate in discussions; and <br /> WHEREAS, COVID-19 is a respiratory disease that causes flu-like symptoms,but with markedly higher <br /> rates of death,particularly among the elderly and medically vulnerable populations; <br /> WHEREAS, as a result of issues presented by COVID-19 and pursuant to the authority under Article lA <br /> of Chapter 166A of the North Carolina General Statutes and Chapter 14 of the Lee County Code of <br /> Ordinances,the Chair of the Lee County Board of Commissioners declared that a State of Emergency <br /> exists within the jurisdiction of Lee County; and <br /> WHEREAS, recommendations and directives from national, state and local public health officials have <br /> addressed the need to take protective measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19; and <br /> WHEREAS, at its March 16, 2020 meeting, the Board of Commissioners understood that COVID-19 was <br /> beginning to spread in Lee County and at that time voted to suspend its current remote participation <br /> policy during this state of emergency to allow for remote participation of a meeting if it became unsafe to <br /> meet in person and authorized staff to research the best practice of conducting such meetings; and <br /> WHEREAS, staff is recommending adopting this new remote participation policy for the limited <br /> circumstance during the period of COVID-19 emergency within Lee County, to ensure that after this <br /> emergency, the Board continues to hold meetings in-person and open to the public to maintain the <br /> integrity of the open meetings law; and <br /> WHEREAS, in order to protect the health of Lee County citizens, employees and members of the local <br /> government boards and committees, including the Board of Commissioners, it is necessary to practice <br /> social distancing and to allow the Board of Commissioners and other boards and committees to provide <br /> for remote participation in its meetings; and <br /> WHEREAS, with the current technology, members of the Lee County Board of Commissioners and other <br /> local government boards and committees may participate remotely in meetings provided the following <br /> conditions and terms are applied: <br /> 1. Acceptable Means of Remote Participation <br /> Telephone, internet, or satellite enabled audio or video conferencing or any other technology that enables <br /> the remote participant and all persons present at the meeting location to be clearly audible to one another. <br />