"It's always nice to put a face to the name," said Zook, who was elected in April 2020.
The board convened in-person last week for the first time in two years. A few hiccups took place, but the meeting largely occurred in an efficient manner. A couple supervisors attended remotely, which will be an ongoing topic of conversation.
Most supervisors seemed pleased to be back. They warmly greeted one another before the meeting, and many stayed afterward to converse.
Earlier this month, County Board Chairman Nick Smiar made the decision for the board, county committees and task forces to return to in-person meetings starting March 15. The board had met virtually since April 8, 2020.
Smiar said declining COVID-19 cases and upgraded air handling equipment in the county government center allowed the board to safely meet. Supervisors were encouraged but not required to wear masks and social distance.
During last Tuesday's meeting, supervisors sat a few feet apart from one another. A few wore masks but most did not.
The transition to an in-person meeting presented challenges, such as technical difficulties with a new system for speaking and voting,
"I'm getting used to it, sorry," Smiar said while navigating the system during the meeting.
Twenty-seven out of 29 supervisors attended the meeting in-person.
Supervisor Colleen Bates said it was great to return and feel the energy of a meeting room. Bates said face-to-face gatherings are a crucial part of being a supervisor.
Zook agreed and said he wished the board had returned to an in-person format sooner. Over the past two years, Zook sometimes had trouble accessing remote meetings because of poor internet connection at his home in Fall Creek.
"All of this virtual stuff was a tremendous struggle," Zook said.
Zook appreciated the in-person format because he felt it was easier to vote and follow the meeting agenda.
"I think it's a better setting for accomplishing a lot of goals," Zook said.
When announcing the return to in-person meetings, Smiar said the county is still determining how to handle hybrid meetings, where some people attend in-person and some attend remotely.
Last week, a hybrid format occurred, since two supervisors virtually attended. Supervisor Carl Anton appeared remotely because he was in a hospital for a medical issue.
Supervisor Katherine Schneider attended remotely because the county granted her a temporary three-month accommodation to do so. Schneider, who is blind, began applying for the accommodation last July under the American with Disabilities Act.
"I've worked with the county for eight months to get this figured out," Schneider wrote in an email to the County Board before last week's meeting. "Like most new things, it's a work in progress."
For the next three months, Schneider has the option to attend meetings in-person but doubts she will, citing a few reasons. The virtual format works and is familiar after two years. In-person meetings require a driver to provide transportation for Schneider, making attendance less convenient. In addition, Schneider's blindness means nearby supervisors would have to help her with technology during an in-person meeting, resulting in close contact and a higher chance of COVID-19 infection.
"If I don't think it's safe (to attend in-person), I won't," Schneider said. "I value myself well enough that I don't put myself in situations that aren't safe if there's another way to do it."
Schneider plans to contact the county near the end of the three-month accommodation to determine next steps. For now, the accommodation provides attendance flexibility.
"If the pandemic went away and people started saying, 'Hey, I'd love to give you a ride,' I would go (in-person) more often," Schneider said. "But both things would have to happen."
During the meeting, Schneider occasionally had trouble hearing supervisors' comments because of technical problems with microphones, but otherwise it was similar to a fully remote meeting.
"It's not perfect wherever I am, but it's doable," Schneider said.
Indeed, tradeoffs exist with remote and in-person attendance. Virtual meetings are more convenient because they eliminate travel time, but they do not provide the same level of in-person camaraderie.
"You don't get the group feeling remotely," Schneider said.
Virtually attending a hybrid meeting is imperfect, but Schneider appreciates the remote accommodation.
"It shows a government that obeys laws like the ADA not only with proclamations, but with actions," Schneider wrote in her email to the board. "The voices of people with disabilities need to be at the table of government so we're not on the menu."
Schneider hopes the accommodation can provide greater access to county operations, which could encourage residents to become more involved and potentially run for office.
"I'm doing it for me, but I'm also doing it for the future," Schneider said. "This is going to enable more people to be part of the government ... (With) the three-month accommodation, we're edging into this. We're not jumping in the deep end, but we're going there, which is good."
For county supervisors, it will take time to get used to a mostly in-person format, but last week was an encouraging start.
© 2022 the Leader-Telegram (Eau Claire, Wis.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
