The Ocala City Council will return to its chambers in City Hall for its upcoming meeting.
Council members and staff will continue to observe the six-feet physical distancing rules, and members of the public will be asked to maintain six feet physical distancing within the audience. Presenters making public comment at the podium are strongly encouraged to wear a mask and not touch the podium when speaking.
The meeting will be held Tuesday, May 19 at 5 p.m. Visitors entering City Hall, located at 110 SE Watula Ave., will be screened at security using a touchless forehead or temporal artery thermometer. Visitors displaying visible symptoms of upper respiratory symptoms or a body temperature at or above 100 degrees will not be allowed to enter the building.
All visitors are strongly encouraged to wear a cloth face covering, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations. Masks must be unobtrusive, fit snugly over the mouth, and allow persons to breathe comfortably. Novelty masks that cover the entire face and prohibit a person from being recognized are not acceptable.
The City has a limited number of face masks that can be provided to City Hall visitors if they do not have their own. When using the elevator, a minimal number of riders will be allowed, and masks are strongly encouraged to be worn.
Seating will be limited based on current social distancing guidelines, which require six feet in between seats. Seats will be available on a first come, first served basis until safe maximum capacity is reached. Capacity limits will be as follows: 24 visitors in council chambers, 10 visitors in the second-floor lobby, and 10 visitors in the downstairs lobby of City Hall to view the meeting via television monitors. The City also will provide a large projection screen with audio capabilities at the Ocala Downtown Market, 310 SE Third Street.
Members of the public are invited to submit questions via email in advance of the meeting. They must be submitted by 3 p.m. Tuesday, May 19 at Citycouncil@ocalafl.org.
Online participants will not be able to make verbal comments; however, they will be able to utilize the question-and-answer feature to post a question or comment.
To participate online, visit the Zoom website to download and install the Zoom software. After installation is completed, you will be prompted to launch the application. The link to the Zoom meeting is located on the City Council Agenda under Meeting Information.
Enter first and last name in the “your name” field. Enter the email address in the appropriate field, then click join. A prompt will appear to join with computer audio or to dial in via telephone for audio.
Use the “Raise Hand” icon to provide public comments and enter the question or comment in the Q&A section of the chat.
For more information, please contact the City Manager’s Office at (352) 629-8401.