Editorial: City Council sticks to quorum rule

On July 19, while discussing the pros and cons of resuming in-person or holding hybrid meetings of the Belleville City Council, there was some back and forth about whether it mattered if they had a quorum. If some of the council members were at the meeting in person and some were present online, did they have to have a quorum in person?
Mayor Kerreen Conley said hybrid is when some are in person and some are on line. How many need to be in person?
“Does anybody care?” she asked. “What if one council member shows up? None show up?”
Councilman Tom Fielder, a retired high school civics teacher, said, “I have strong feelings on this. The council meeting in person should have a quorum… The elected officials need to be present in a quorum…”
He noted the State of Michigan will tell them when they have to go back to in-person meetings. Currently, municipalities can remain in virtual meetings until the end of the year.
Councilwoman Kelly Bates disagreed and she wanted it to be an option to be in person or not. Resident Mike Renaud who attends meetings regularly said he is immune-compromised and if the council isn’t ready to meet in person, it shouldn’t be considered at all.
They decided to meet in person with a hybrid option of being on line at the second meeting in August. But, there has to be a quorum in person. Good decision!