NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 20, 2020
MEDIA CONTACT: Dana Kazel, Communications Manager
218-725-5049 (office) • 218-591-2219 (cell)
May 26 Board Meeting moved to Virginia; new options added for public input
The St. Louis County Board Meeting on May 26, originally scheduled to be held at the Buhl Senior Center, has been moved to the Government Services Center in Virginia to better accommodate electronic options for public access and participation. As has been the case at all St. Louis County Board meetings since the issuance of the Governor's Executive Orders relating to COVID-19, people are encouraged to listen and participate via Webex or phone; or to submit comments to the Board ahead of time via email or voice mail. While the public will not be permitted to attend the meeting in person due to COVID-19 concerns, these options have been established to ensure the public has the ability to makes their voices heard.
The May 26 meeting has drawn considerable attention because a proposed resolution on the topic of refugee resettlement, first discussed more than five months ago, was tabled to this date. The decision to table the matter was made prior to the outbreak of COVID-19. The topic has drawn considerable testimony and emailed comments from people throughout the county. There has been just one instance of a refugee being resettled in St. Louis County since 2011.
For people wishing to watch the Board meeting, it will be streamed live via Webex and Facebook. People also may listen to the meeting live via telephone. Information on the Webex and phone line can be found at stlouiscountymn.gov and clicking on the calendar link for the May 26 County Board meeting.
Anyone wishing to testify during the County Board meeting has multiple options to do so:
- Via Webex: Instructions on how to join the meeting and indicate you wish to speak are detailed on the county website as part of the calendar link for the May 26 County Board meeting.
- Via a new phone line: 218-726-2109. Callers will be placed in a queue to speak to the county board live. A county employee will answer the phone and let callers know when it is their turn to speak.
Additionally, people can provide input prior to the meeting through the following:
- Call the County Board phone line at (218) 726-2110. Citizens may leave a message with their comments on items on the agenda for the following meetings, as well as on topics not on the agenda. All comments must follow the same rules as comments made at Board meetings: Comments must be less than five minutes in length; must be addressed to the entire board, not any individual commissioners; and should be respectful, avoiding profanity or threats. Any messages that do not meet this criteria will not be shared with the Board. Comments should be submitted by no later than 4 p.m. Monday to be included in the meeting the next morning.
- Send an email with comments to publiccomment@stlouiscountymn.gov. Submitted e-mails will be forwarded to the County Board and will be considered part of the record.
- Fill out the "Contact Your Commissioner" form online at stlouiscountymn.com/countyboard.
"We recognize this is an important topic to many people and, just as we've been doing for months - we want to hear from the public," said County Board Chair Mike Jugovich. "We also have a responsibility to protect public health and - during this pandemic - have gone to great lengths to ensure the public has the opportunity to participate and share their input with commissioners through virtual means."
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