MOHAVE COUNTY – Musical chairs will be employed during next Monday’s Board of Supervisors meeting as Mohave County officials try to maintain proper social distancing while keeping local government functioning. Deputy county attorney Ryan Esplin said only handfuls of citizens will be allowed to enter the auditorium where the Board conducts its meeting inside the Administration building in downtown Kingman.
Esplin said citizens enjoy the right to address the Board when it holds public hearings and several will be conducted Monday. He said provisions are being made to keep citizens segregated outside, and for them to be allowed to enter the auditorium to speak when supervisors address their item of interest.
Esplin said staff is making plans to broadcast or televise the meeting in an area where citizens can monitor the meeting from outside the auditorium. He said citizens would be guided back outside the auditorium once their business item is concluded.
“Members of the public are expected to follow social distancing during the meetings and be at least six feet apart,” Communications Director Roger Galloway said, in a news release. “No audience member should be seated directly next to each other or directly in front or behind each other during the meeting.”
Under its previous COVID-19 emergency declaration the Board temporarily suspended its Call to the Public. That has typically been a period near the start of regular Board meetings where citizens have the chance to offer brief comment on matters that area not scheduled for consideration.
Call to the Public was suspended for social distancing and group size minimization considerations, and because a common microphone is usually shared by citizen speakers. Citizens can still submit Call to the Public comments in writing, provided they do so before 5:00 p.m. this Friday.
Clerk Ginny Anderson said she would be happy to read the comments into the record after the Board convenes its meeting.
Written comments can be delivered to Anderson via electronic form by clicking here: https://lfportal.mohavecounty.us/Forms/RequestToSpeak or dropping off in person at 700 W. Beale Street.
- Dave Hawkins
