Cary Town Council Meetings Reopen to Public Next Week

Cary, NC — Next week’s meeting of the Cary Town Council will be the first since February 2020 to allow members of the public to physically be in attendance.

Their configuration switched to allow more than 6 feet of space between each member over a year ago when council meetings were made virtual with access made available online and at least one council member participating from a remote location away from the Town Hall Chambers in Downtown Cary.

Now, while most viewing and virtual capabilities will remain the same, here are the new set of standards for attending and speaking at a public hearing or during any of the “Public Speaks Out” segments of each meeting.

In a pre-COVID-19 meeting, Town Manager Sean Stegall addresses the Cary Town Council.

Participating and Listening Options for Council Meetings

Town Manager Sean Stegall said this week that, in “upholding the values of accessibility, consistency, and predictability as we return to in-person council meetings, the following is recommended for council meetings beginning on July 22.” The Thursday evening meeting will begin at 6:30 PM.

Streaming:

• Continue streaming on current channels (Cary TV, Agenda and Minutes Portal, Facebook Live, and Youtube Live).

Public Speaks Out and Public Hearings:

• Written Comments
  • Continue to accept through email, 311, and mail. Comments will have to be received by noon on the day of the meeting. Comments received afternoon on the day of the meeting will be passed along to the council as routine correspondence.

• Call-In Speakers
  • Continue to provide the option for citizens to call in. Registration for call-in must be completed by noon on the day of the meeting.
• In-Person Speakers
  • At the first meeting open to the public on July 22, the option for in-person comments will resume. Those who would like to speak in person will be asked and encouraged to sign up before noon on the meeting date.
  • When the council was conducting a remote meeting, public hearings had a 24-hour collection period after the hearing. This collection period will not stay in place when the council returns to a regular meeting format.

Don’t Miss the CaryCitizen Recaps

After each council meeting, you can find a recap of the votes and decisions made on CaryCitizen along with the most discussed topics going on in Cary.