Pandemic Public Protocol: Wipe, Talk, Leave

A New Haven zoning board hearing usually begins with the chair telling people to turn off cell phones and keep comments brief.

Tuesday night, Chair Mildred Melendez began with additional directives: After keeping comments brief, please leave the building after your item has been discussed.

And check out the wipes on the presenters’ table, along with the Purell hand sanitizer.

Welcome to meeting manners during the era of COVID-19, which as of Wednesday has been a declared global pandemic by the World Health Organization.

City government has directed leaders of public meetings to begin sessions with the kind of directives Melendez offered at the start of Tuesday night’s monthly Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) meeting, which drew its typical crowd of 40 people to the large basement hearing room at 200 Orange St.

Melendez was following protocols recently laid out by Mayor Justin Elicker and his health team in order to maximize preparedness for the arrival of the COVID-19 virus. (Officials discussed those protocols and answered the public’s questions about coronavirus planning Tuesday on WNHH FM’s ​“Dateline New Haven” .)

Among the recommendations are to avoid handshakes and to keep distance if possible between people.

Following is the text of a directive for organizers of public hearings, attached to an agenda distributed Wednesday for next week’s City Plan Commission:

“The Governor and the Mayor have both asked that meetings and conferences be kept to less than 100 people. Since it is important to our democratic process to continue to hold our public meetings, we ask that you help us keep this meeting to under 100 people. Everyone is welcome to stay for the entire meeting, but if you come to hear a specific item, we ask that you consider leaving after that item has been discussed.

​“We also encourage you to keep a safe and respectful distance from one another. Hand sanitizer stations are available around the building and in the room (G‑2). Disinfectant wipes will be available for those who use the microphone. The audio recording or the transcript can be made available by emailing or calling the staff of the City Plan Department for those that are sick and should remain at home.

​“As always, thank you for planning to attend our public meeting, and thank you for helping us to remain healthy as we continue with our official business.”

Meanwhile, at least one community management team, in Westville/West Hills, canceled a monthly meeting, scheduled for Wednesday night. Co-Chair Joshua Van Hoesen wrote to neighbors that that team is ​“looking into options for remote participation for the next and future meetings.”

The spacious Hall of Records hearing room had many chairs and many seats, far more than the 40 needed for attendees at Tuesday night’s zoning board hearing. There were lots of opportunities for people to have at least a chair between them, even two.

However, at least to this observer, people appeared to be sitting next to each other in the usual manner, not putting a distance of one or two chairs between them.

Not a cough or a sneeze was heard. While hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes beckoned from the main table where presenters and members of the public go to testify, there were no public tissues available.

On a personal note, when this reporter said hello to Cornell Scott-Hill Health Director Michael Taylor and one of his medical staff, Dr. Ece Tek, who was with him, both extended their hands for a friendly shake.

Even those medical professionals needed reminding that New Haven government has declared public buildings handshake-free zones. The encounter served as a reminder that we all need to help each other get used to the new rules of etiquette in pandemic times.