Council Moves to In-Person Optional Meetings

Starting in July, the city council, planning commission, natural resource conservation board, traffic commission, and park board meetings will again be held at in the city council chambers at Blaine City Hall. These meetings will be a hybrid of Zoom meetings and live in-person meetings. Members of the council, boards, commissions, staff, and the public who wish to attend remotely can still join the meetings via Zoom as has been done for the past few months.

The council chambers will have limited seating, with chairs being set up at least six feet apart. There will be an overflow area where the meeting can be watched in the Cloverleaf Farms Room, also with chairs set up at least six feet apart.

Please note that all visitors to city hall are required to where a facemask at all times in all public areas of the building.

Public Comment Before a Meeting

If you will not be attending the meeting in-person, city staff has developed a public comment process for virtual meetings. A public comment email address, PublicComment@BlaineMN.gov, and phone number, 763-717- 2782, allow individuals to submit comments prior to a meeting. Those comment boxes are available until noon on the day of the meeting. The comments will be compiled and delivered to the Blaine City Council or the appropriate commission or advisory board.

Public Comment During a Meeting

Members of the public who will not be attending the meeting and who wish to comment during public comment periods will be asked to join the meeting on the Zoom webinar platform. Meeting attendees will be able to click the raise hand button, this will alert city staff that an individual wishes to comment. When it is time for comments, individuals will be recognized and their microphones will be enabled allowing them to comment. Zoom meeting information can be found in the calendar notification and on the agenda for each meeting. For more information and to view the meeting calendar, visit BlaineMN.gov/Calendar.

Ways to Watch a Meeting

If you do not wish to comment on an item but still want to watch the meeting you are asked to watch through all the normal methods the city provides. You can watch on North Metro TV which is available on Comcast (channel 799 and 16) or through a free app on Apple TV or Roku. You can also watch a live stream at BlaineMN.gov/Video.

Any questions regarding Blaine City Council meetings, please contact City Clerk Cathy Sorensen at 763-785-6124 or CSorensen@BlaineMN.gov.