For the first time since the pandemic started, members of the public will be able to attend a Kamloops council meeting in person today.

That will be when the Finance Committee meets at 2:30 p.m. at council chambers.

Between council members, staff, the public and media, council chambers will be able to hold up to 18 people in-person, to be able to maintain social distancing.

Most councillors will still be taking part by video though, as they have been for regular council meetings since the middle of March.

Councillor Dale Bass says the goal is to get all of council meeting in-person, soon.

“This council really works well as a team, and you can’t be a team if you’re not together all the time. But I don’t know, because at Sandman Centre (Emergency Social Services) is at that room. I asked about using the actual rink floor but I was told that they may have to put ice in at some point,” Bass says.

“We’ve made it clear to staff that we want to start meeting again as a group in some way that is socially distant, safe, and yet we can still engage in a way that is better than the way we are right now.”

City staff say they are in the process of seeing where all nine members of council could hold in-person meetings.