The Los Angeles Post

Los Angeles City Council Meetings for Tuesday, October 18th and Wednesday, October 19th to Be Held Virtually

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The move is being made pursuant to AB361 due to a COVID-19 exposure in Council chambers

LOS ANGELES — Acting Los Angeles City Council President Mitch O’Farrell today announced that the Council meetings on Tuesday, October 18, 2022 and Wednesday, October 19, 2022 will be held virtually due to a COVID-19 exposure that occurred in Council chambers on Tuesday, October 11, 2022.

The City of Los Angeles COVID-19 Workplace Safety Standards require that city personnel be tested for COVID-19 five days following a close contact exposure. Since the exposure occurred on Tuesday, October 11, 2022, city personnel are required to test for COVID-19 beginning on Sunday, October 16, 2022, a timeline that  allows for time between exposure and the detection of viral antigens. This timeframe means that, should any additional city personnel test positive for COVID-19, test results may not come back prior to the next scheduled meetings on Tuesday, October 18, 2022 and Wednesday, October 19, 2022.

Due to these time constraints, uncertainty, the necessity of ensuring safety, and in keeping with Brown Act requirements that agendas be posted 72 hours in advance, the next regular Los Angeles City Council meetings scheduled for Tuesday, October 18, 2022, and Wednesday, October 19, 2022, will be posted as virtual meetings and held via Zoom.

Council meetings can be held via teleconference pursuant to the Determination that, in accordance with AB 361 Section 3(e)(3) that, while the state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as originally proclaimed by the Governor on March 4, 2020, remains active and/or state or local officials have imposed or recommended measures to promote social distancing, this legislative body has reconsidered the circumstances of the state of emergency and that the state of emergency continues to directly impact the ability of the members to meet safely in person and/or state or local officials continue to impose or recommend measures to promote social distancing.

The agenda for the Tuesday, October 18, 2022 City Council meeting will include several major items, including: the election of a new Council President; an item related to the creation of an independent redistricting commission; and Acting Council President O’Farrell’s motion regarding charter reform and an increase in the number of City Council districts. Public comment will be taken remotely, in keeping with Brown Act requirements.

“It is certain that a number of city personnel, including elected officials, were exposed to COVID-19 this week, and it’s quite possible, if not likely, that there will be more positive cases,” said Acting Council President O’Farrell. “In keeping with State and City requirements, all those exposed should test beginning Sunday. With the possibility that there will be more positive cases, out of an abundance of caution we will hold both Tuesday and Wednesday’s meetings virtually, as we did for over a year during the height of the pandemic. I urge everyone who was in Council Chambers this week to get tested beginning Sunday, and continue testing.”