Jena City Council and committees can meet again

City council meetings possible again

Following another change in the legal situation, the city of Jena can return to the normal meeting cycle of the city council and committees. In a letter from the Thuringian Ministry of the Interior dated 7 April 2020, city council meetings are once again possible if the public participation option required by the Thuringian municipal ordinance, which is currently restricted, is supplemented by an additional broadcast on the internet or on local TV.

Thuringian legal ordinances changed frequently

This is now the third change to the legal situation regarding committee meetings in Thuringia's municipalities. Jena reacted to the state's first ordinance by setting up a special committee with nine members and the mayor to make urgent decisions on behalf of the city council. The state's second ordinance, as well as letters from the Ministry of the Interior and the State Administration Office, set the requirements for the public nature of such meetings so high that it was no longer possible to implement them locally in view of the requirements of the Infection Protection Act.

The city of Jena also reacted to this and agreed with the members of the special committee that it would only meet for preliminary consultations, i.e. a non-public meeting was possible that complied with the Infection Protection Act. The alternative would have been to allow only urgent decisions by the Lord Mayor, without the involvement of politicians.

Unnecessarily restricting the process of democratic decision-making in our city was never my aim, nor that of my colleagues in staff management. The establishment of the special committee was driven precisely by the opposite desire, to involve politicians even in times of crisis and to remain capable of making decisions in the best understanding of democracy. By making city council meetings possible, we are taking the next important step in this direction,

emphasized Lord Mayor Dr. Thomas Nitzsche. The city is happy to take up the state's special regulation for political bodies now that it is feasible from an infection control perspective.

City council on 20.05. will take place in the Volkshaus with conditions

The city council is now to take place again as planned on May 20. The meeting will take place in the Volkshaus, where distancing and hygiene rules can be observed. Among other things, all those present must wear a face mask and will be given individual speaking points. The session may not exceed 120 minutes. A maximum of up to 15 spectators can follow the meeting on site, which will be broadcast as usual on JenaTV. The committees will also meet again in advance of the first council meeting. Meeting locations and dates are still being coordinated.

I would like to thank all those who have examined various options within the administration over the last few days and ultimately made the city council meeting in the Volkshaus possible. This will allow us to end the committee deadlock and get important decisions underway in the coming weeks in the interests of the citizens of our city and with comprehensive political participation,

concluded Nitzsche.