The first meeting of Kingston city council since the World Health Organization declared a novel coronavirus pandemic will mark a significant change in the way the local government conducts its business for the foreseeable future.
Council is poised to bring in new measures to alter its 2020 budget Tuesday to reflect extra spending and a drop in revenues, give councillors more flexibility to vote from home and hold regular meetings in a new, larger venue.
The 19th-century council chamber on the second floor of city hall is no longer considered safe for politicians, staff, the media and the public due to the close proximity of desks and chairs — social distancing rules would be next to impossible to follow.