Timmins City Council made history Monday night, albeit dubious because of the circumstances.
It held its first ever regular meeting using communications technology to bring in most of the councillors.
It’s the electronic way to comply with personal distancing during the COVID-19 crisis.
Mayor George Pirie and Councillors Rock Whissell and Noella Rinaldo were in the council chamber. The other six councillors participated from home via telephone.
There are still a lot of bugs to iron out of that system. The meeting did proceed, but the most important items of business were deferred. So we won’t know exactly how much our tax bills will be until sometime in the future.
Whatever the amounts are, we won’t have to pay late fees. Neither will the charges apply on water and sewer bills.  In a unanimous vote, council approved waiving all of those fees until the crisis is over.