Walnut City Council Revisits Returning To In-Person Meetings

WALNUT, CA — An executive order from Gov. Gavin Newsom that required local municipalities to hold public meetings virtually amid the pandemic is set to expire at the end of this month. But cities like Walnut are considering a return to in-person meetings sooner rather than later.

The City Council will discuss allowing residents back into its chambers before the order’s expiration during its Wednesday meeting, according to a staff report. City leaders originally considered returning to in-person meetings in July but tabled the discussion.

The city will mull three options: wait until the executive order expires, move to hold in-person meetings again or opt for a hybrid format where city officials will participate in person while the public attends virtually.

City staff conducted a survey of surrounding cities to look at how other local governments have handled the executive order and found that 11 cities have returned to in-person meetings, two still hold meetings virtually and three have adopted a hybrid format, the staff report said.

The City Council is set to meet Wednesday at 7 p.m. The meeting can be streamed online through the city's website.

Public comments can be emailed to the City Clerk's Office by 4 p.m. on the day of the meeting.