AMES, Iowa - Iowa cities are moving to teleconferencing for city council meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The city of Ames is directing residents to connect to Zoom in order to participate in the council's April 14th meeting. Citizens can also call in if needed.
The city says it's taking the measure to encourage social distancing while positive cases of COVID-19 continue to mount in Iowa.
Des Moines started conducting its city council meetings through a teleconferencing platform on March 23rd, with only the Mayor, City Manager, City Attorney and City Clerk physically present.
The Ames City Hall remains closed to the public, and the mayor and council members are accessing meetings electronically.