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Public allowed to return to Blue Springs City Council meetings

Blue Springs City Council
Posted at 11:28 AM, Apr 12, 2021
and last updated 2021-04-12 12:28:49-04

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Blue Springs City Council will allow the public to speak during in-person meetings beginning next week.

It’s yet another sign that things are returning to normal more than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic with Kansas City-area case rates on the decline and the number of people being vaccinated climbing.

Blue Springs announced the change Monday. It goes into effect for the April 19 meeting after the Jackson County Health Department lifted gathering restrictions and allowed all businesses to reopen at full capacity last week.

Applicants and presenters with business before the Blue Springs City Council will be allowed to appear in-person as long as social-distancing and mask-wearing requirements are observed.

The public, which will continue to have the option to join the meeting via Microsoft Teams, also may appear at meetings in-person again.

“This is specific to City Council meetings at this time,” the city said Monday in a release. “Plans to transition additional public meetings to in-person are underway.”

Currently, the city council gathers in the its chambers in-person, but presenters and the public have not been allowed to attend for more than a year.

Blue Springs City Council meetings can be found on cable access channels, including Channel 7 for Comcast Xfinity customers and Channel 99 for AT&T U-Verse customers, as well as via YouTube.