A COUNCILLOR shared his fears at coming into a room with dozens of people for a meeting as he is highly vulnerable to Covid infection.
The comments came as Green and Labour councillors agreed to limit attendance at the next full council meeting on Thursday 3 February, to 14 councillors to reduce the risk of Covid transmission.
At the policy and resource committee meeting on Thursday 27 January, Labour councillor Daniel Yates said the recommendation to have 14 rather than the originally proposed 40 members at the meeting protected councillors and officers who are clinically vulnerable.
He said he has carried out his job as an NHS manager and his council work from home throughout the pandemic because he is extremely clinically vulnerable.
Cllr Yates said: “Coming into this room scares me. The thought of coming into this room with 40 other people sat in it scares me more.
“I understand what the level of risk is to me of catching Covid, and I would quite like to see the end of this pandemic out.”
Before the full council meeting, a virtual public engagement session is scheduled at 4.30pm, where residents can ask councillors questions, and present deputations and petitions.
The virtual session will include the councillor’s oral questions segment. Any petitions with enough signatures for a debate will go before the full council meeting.
The law requires councillors be present to vote on recommendations, motions and reports which is why the meeting is taking place in two halves.
Green and Labour councillors also backed holding the budget council meeting for all 54 councillors at the Brighton Centre on Thursday 24 February, to allow for social distancing.
Executive director for governance, people and resources Abraham Ghebre Ghiorghis said there are welcome signs of improvement in the Covid pandemic infections. However, there is still a risk to councillors, officers and the public if the council chamber is too crowded.
By limiting numbers in the chamber for decision making and holding a separate virtual public engagement session, Mr Ghebre Ghiorghis the council would “maintain the vibrant democratic engagement” experienced in Brighton and Hove.
He said: “We have got a very lively and vibrant democratic engagement process. We have more public questions, more deputations, more petitions, more member questions and motions than any other local authority that we are aware of, and that is something to be proud of.
“It does pose a challenge in terms of adopting a system and a way of working that is safe.”
Green councillor Hannah Clare said the precautions demonstrated care for the clinically extremely vulnerable and taking the risk seriously.
Cllr Clare said: “We have already had meetings where councillors have then had a positive Covid test, as a result, including a meeting of this committee where I had a positive test after the meeting, and I’d put everyone at risk because I was forced to come into the chamber.
“Luckily, everyone is fine and well, and no one caught it from me. We have to be clear there is still a risk to the pandemic, and we cannot go back to where we were.”
Conservative councillor Mary Mears said councillors should not put themselves on a different line to the rest of the city when NHS staff, shop workers and bus drivers are working.
She said: “I do understand the nervousness for some councillors if they’re not vaccinated or have underlying health issues, but I think we need to be part of the city, not separate.
“The economy of the city is desperate to open up. It has to open up to survive.”
The committee voted eight councillors to two for the reduced numbers at full council and to continue meeting at Hove Town Hall.
Those attending meetings in person will continue to wear masks unless they have an exemption,
The council will keep the arrangements under review.
The full council meeting takes place at Hove Town Hall from 6.30pm on Thursday 3 February but may start later if the virtual public engagement session starting at 4.30pm goes on past 6pm.
Both meetings are scheduled for webcast on the council website.
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