In-person Sussex Council meetings could begin in Phase 2

In Phase 2 of Delaware’s plan to lift COVID-19 restrictions and reopen the economy, limits on the number of people allowed in buildings increases from 30 percent to 60 percent of maximum occupancy.

That could signal a restart to in-person Sussex County government public meetings, the first since the COVID-19 state of emergency was imposed in mid-March.

Sussex County Administrator Todd Lawson said room capacity in Sussex council chambers will not likely be a problem except when public hearings are scheduled. The number of people who might attend a hearing is largely unknown, so providing sufficient space could be a problem. 

The earliest the public could be allowed in council chambers would be during the Tuesday, June 23 meeting for council hearings and Thursday, June 25, for planning and zoning hearings, Lawson said.

“Hosting a council meeting with a public hearing will require significant planning, and we will need to be prepared for every possibility,” Lawson said during county council's June 9 meeting.

The administrator said attendees would have to sit 6 feet apart, which would limit the number of people in chambers from 30 to 40.

He said members of the public would have to be screened before entering the administration building.

Lawson said if council chambers are filled to capacity, overflow seating will be required. “If we fill up the overflow seating, then what?” he asked council.

He said the room could be cleared between applications and a schedule could be considered with designated start times for hearings to reduce waiting. He reminded council that a teleconference option is still required.

No decisions were made. Lawson said he would continue to monitor the issue on a week-to-week basis.

More staff reporting to offices

At least during the initial stages of Phase 2 of the state's reopening, Sussex County offices will remain closed to the public, Lawson said. The administration offices on The Circle in Georgetown continue to be open to allow people to drop off paperwork for county staff to process.

He said select full-time employees are now working in their offices. “In doing so, we have required all the steps to mitigate risk, including face masks and health screenings, and we have modified their workspace to ensure employees remain 6 feet apart,” he said.

He said some staff are working on rotating and staggered schedules to maintain a minimum staffing level.

“However, we are not at a point that all employees should return back to their offices. In some instances, we have learned through the COVID-19 closure that employees are efficient and effective working from home,” he said.