It will be business not quite as usual when the Central Unified School District trustees hold their regular board meeting on Tuesday.
Because of orders by Gov. Gavin Newsom for Californians to shelter in place and also to avoid large public gatherings to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, Central’s board meeting will be broadcast on the district’s YouTube channel.
Each participant will appear on the screen via the Zoom video teleconferencing app, which allows multiple participants to be seen and see each other simultaneously.
District spokeswoman Sonja Dosti nicknames it the “Brady Bunch” view — similar to the TV show’s opening, when the various members of the blended family appeared in side-by-side squares — although it’s better known as the gallery view.
Comment Via Telephone
Members of the public with access to the internet can watch the meeting and, when it’s time for public comment, call (559) 276-3150.
Even though this means that residents who don’t have internet access won’t be able to observe the meeting and comment, it’s not a violation of the state’s open meetings law.
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s March 12 executive order suspended some requirements of the Brown Act but had required legislative bodies to provide a physical location for the public to observe a meeting and make comments.
But the requirement for a public gathering spot was overturned six days later in a subsequent executive order from Newsom that said because of the state of emergency caused by COVID-19, meetings were lawful so long as the public could observe and address the board telephonically or electronically.
New High School, Portables On Agenda
The Central Unified meeting highlights include:
- Vote on final plans for the ballfields, snack bar with restrooms, and soccer fields for the new $104 million high school under construction at Grantland and Ashlan avenues. Total estimated cost: $5.5 million.
- Vote on relocating portables previously used at Tilley Elementary to Harvest Elementary and the district office. Total estimated costs: $1.6 million.
- Consider replacing the scoreboard at Koligian Stadium, at an estimated cost of $209,000. The board would vote on the proposal at the April 28 meeting.
