Gloucester County will continue to operate and conduct business in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Local agencies and commissions will offer meetings on an online, virtual platform, a release said. In many cases meetings will be broadcast live on Cox Channel 48 and on the county’s meeting portal http://www.gloucesterva.info/640/Meeting-Portal.

The changes are taken in order to maintain social distancing requirements and a responsible public health posture, the release said.

Several methods are provided for public input, the county said.

Comments may be submitted via an online form at www.gloucesterva.info/citizencomment until 4:30 p.m. on the day of the meeting selected. Comments will be read aloud during that section of the meetings up to the 3-minute time limit. Comments submitted anonymously or with fictitious names will not be read.

Comments can also be submitted via phone by calling 804-824-2760. Callers can then listen to the recorded menu to receive instructions in order to leave a recorded comment. Comments submitted this way will be played during the appropriate comment or public hearing period, up to the 3-minute limit.

This method will also be open for comments to be submitted during public hearings, on the date and time such public hearings are held by the board (as advertised), until the chair closes the public hearing for submissions.

Finally, to submit comments via U.S. Mail, send to: County Administration Attn: Citizen/Public Hearing Comment, 6489 Main Street, Gloucester, Va. 23061. Any mailed comments must include name, magisterial district, and the meeting and item you are commenting on clearly printed at the top. All such comments must be received by the scheduled date of the meeting or public hearing, and be legible, the release said.

The release noted that comments may only be submitted once per person for each comment period/public hearing selected. If more than one comment is submitted per selection, only the last comment submission will be read.
Upcoming sessions of the board of supervisors include: April 21 (budget work session and budget and tax rates public hearings), April 23 (possible budget work session), April 28 (FY 2021 budget adoption), May 5 (regular meeting), May 12 (joint meeting with the Gloucester Planning Commission), May 19 (regular meeting), June 2 (regular meeting), July 7 (regular meeting), Aug. 4 (regular meeting), Aug. 11 (joint meeting with the Gloucester Planning Commission) and Sept. 1 (regular meeting). After this time, or otherwise at an earlier time as may be determined by the board, its meeting schedule is expected to continue as normal with in-person meetings, the release said. However, this is subject to change. For more information, contact the County Administrator’s office at 804-693-4042 or county.administrator@gloucesterva.info.