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Bainbridge Island officials will limit public attendance at the city council’s next meeting on Tuesday, March 24.

City officials said the number of people allowed into council chambers for the meeting will be cut to 10 — and that includes the seven-member council and staff.

As such, the number of seats allowed for the public at the 5 p.m. may end up being zero, depending on the number of council members who attend and the number of staff in the room. Typically, three or more staff members are present for council meetings, including the city manager, city attorney and city clerk.

Not all of the council may be physically present at next week’s council meeting, however, and some may participate by phone.

The agenda for the council meeting will be limited to an update on COVID-19 response efforts, transactional items required for business continuity, and a previously noticed public hearing on whether to extend the city’s development moratorium for an additional six months.

The meeting will start one hour earlier than usual, at 5 p.m.

The public hearing is planned for 6 p.m., and city officials said they will allow people who want to make public comments on the moratorium exemption into council chambers to give their statements.

The city is legally obligated to allow people inside council chambers to offer comment during the public hearing.

People who wish to offer comment during the hearing will be allowed into council chambers one at a time to speak at the lectern.

At the speakers’ lectern, hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes will be available and can be used by speakers to clean the area.

Council chambers will get an additional cleaning with disinfectant before the meeting, officials said.

City officials said members of the public will not be allowed to remain in the meeting room after their public comment is completed, per the guidance to limit gatherings due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.

The city said there will be no opportunity for in-person public comment on other agenda topics.

Under Washington state’s Open Public Meeting Act, cities do not have the legal obligation to allow for public comment at meetings — only attendance.

Officials noted the council meeting can be viewed live on Bremerton Kitsap Access Television (Channel 12 on Comcast and Channel 3 on WAVE) or by using the streaming service on the city’s website.