The Stuart City Council has had communication issues with remote members speaking over top of one another, and Mayor Dick Cook is hoping switching to Zoom will alleviate some of those concerns.

At the very least, Cook hopes the extra tools Zoom utilizes can make it more manageable.

“I’m going to instruct the city manager to mute people when this happens. Over the phone, it’s tough to do, but if they’re out of control, just mute them, they can listen in and if they need to talk, we can put them back on. No, it hasn’t been a very good situation lately at some of our meetings.”

Cook believes that by adding videoconferencing, members may be able to read body language or see somebody preparing to speak and adjust accordingly.

The Council will hold a special meeting Tuesday to discuss an amendment for the Urban Renewal Plan and Tax Increment Financing Assistance for Hotel Stuart. The meeting will be at 5:30 p.m. in the Stuart City Hall Council Chambers. To join the meeting by phone, dial 646-749-3112 and enter access code: 711-811-173-#.