Gilroy City Council To Return To Virtual Meetings

GILROY, CA — Gilroy City Council meetings are going virtual once again due to the surge in COVID-19 cases.

The council voted 5-2 to approve the resolution, according to the Gilroy Dispatch. City Manager Jimmy Forbis recommended that virtual meetings continue through Mar. 31 because city staff has been affected by the omicron variant.

Under Assembly Bill 361, legislative bodies can decide to meet virtually during public health emergencies, with evaluations happening every 30 days.

“As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and in particular because of the recent surge in cases caused by the Omicron variant, continuing to hold in-person meetings of the City Council and of the City’s other legislative bodies would present imminent risks to the health or safety of attendees,” the resolution stated.

Councilmembers Dion Bracco and Carol Marques dissented, with Marques stating during the meeting that she felt like those who are vaccinated and boosted are being “punished,” according to the Dispatch.

Read more in the Dispatch here.