Cortland Common Council meeting. January 2020. (Cortland Voice Photo files).
Spectators will be allowed in the city of Cortland Common Council’s return to in-person meetings, mayor Brian Tobin said Friday morning.
Tobin noted the meetings will no longer be held virtually via Zoom. The meetings will continue live-streamed, courtesy of the Cortland Voice.
The meetings, held in the courtroom on the third floor of city hall, can have “as many people as one can attend,” Tobin said. He added that masks are required for spectators who want to attend the meeting.
“It’s an overabundance of caution, but I’m more concerned about people’s safety,” Tobin said.
Mask wearing for Tobin and the council members are optional, based on reaction of topics discussed during the meetings.
“You can hear the voice, but you miss facial expressions and intonations,” Tobin said. “Non-verbal communication is just as important as verbal communication.”
