Virtual Meetings Not Happening For Lafayette County Board

The Lafayette County Board of Supervisors will continue to hold meetings in person, without a Zoom or Google Meet option, after a county board committee failed to vote on a proposal for virtual meetings. A proposal to establish a YouTube Channel for Lafayette County also was not considered. Officials say there are four challenges the county Information Technology Department would be facing should the county board move to virtual meetings, including the purchase of necessary equipment, providing lead time for personnel to set up equipment and making sure personnel had appropriate training. The county also would have to purchase the software it needs to conduct virtual meetings. The Lafayette County Board approved an information technology position in its 2021 budget, which officials anticipated would take three to six months to hire. The board has been conducting its monthly meetings in person at the County Multipurpose Building to accommodate social distancing.