Thread by @shayshinecastle

Moving on: When will council ever be back for in-person meetings? It was supposed to be July 13, but there were technical difficulties.

Those are fixed, so here we are.

But, as NRV says, now we've got rising COVID cases and new CDC recommendations. boulderbeat.news/2021/07/28/cov…

"My position on coming back ... has evolved as we've seen some of these changes in the COVID variant rise," NRV says.

NRV: We have seen, in the past 2-3 weeks, about 25 employees exposed to COVID-19. Some have been breakthrough cases. Not every staff member has tested positive.

That's the biggest thing that made NRV rethink returning to in-person meetings, she says.

95% of new cases in Colorado are the Delta variant, NRV says.

"We've been having increasing anxiety from staff about coming to work," NRV says.

NRV: We owe it to our community, and staff, they should not be worried if those who are providing assistance putting them at risk.

Mask mandates coming soon, NRV says, but I think that's for city staff, not for the general public. Boulder has typically followed the county public health lead on any COVID orders.

"We are moving in a direction to increase our safety," NRV says. "We're hoping to hear from you (council) about the ways you are hoping to come back."

Next COVID briefing from local health officials is in 2 weeks, Aug. 17

Wallach: It does not inspire confidence in me for a very quick return to chambers. I don't want to have the convo until we see "a dramatic improvement" in transmission.

We should leave it open, Wallach says, not keep moving the goalposts.

Brockett agrees: I've been looking to getting back in person, but "now is not the right time" given the rise in cases.

I think Friend did, too, but I missed all her comments. I did catch the words "vaccine passport" and the broad sentiment that she hopes public health orders aren't waiting on council to have a discussion in two weeks.

Yates: "This is a week-by-week basis. Let's not put any artificial dates out there."

Swetlik agreeing, as ever with some humor: "I don't think Mark (Wallach) could handle my third dimension anyway."

Joseph: "Going into chambers is not for us, it's for the community. If the community is not there, what's the value?"

We have to think if we also want to put the community in the chambers and possibly risk their life, Joseph says. Not sure we should do that.

Speaks on the vaccine passport (which is not really what this is about, but) and says the city should follow CDC and federal guidelines, keeping in mind safety and "what people would call their freedom of choice"

Young: "If we're wearing masks at the dais, that is way less transparent than being on Zoom. If we can't do it that way, there's no point in doing it in 3D. "

Weaver agrees with everyone else about not returning now. Doesn't think it will be until the end of September when council even broaches the subject again.

"Our lodestar here is Boulder County Public Health. I expect between now and 2 wks from now, we may hear from BCPH about new guidance."

It's clearly in the best interest of the public to not return, Weaver says.

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