The first in-person Niagara-on-the-Lake council meeting in almost two years will take place on Dec. 20.

Council unanimously voted to hold its next council meeting in council chambers after a report from chief administrator Marnie Cluckie presented the option.

“Yay!” Lord Mayor Betty Disero exclaimed in an interview on Tuesday.

“We’ll try it, see how it works and see how many members of council come in,” she said.

Councillors will be able to start attending council and committee of the whole meetings on Dec. 20 in the chamber but town staff, media, delegates and residents will still only be able to attend virtually.

That is in order to observe provincial government COVID-19 safety measures that are still in place, Disero said.

“It’s government regulations as well as how the staff can manage the numbers. If we get a crowd of 30 it’s going to be impossible to let them all in at the same time and still maintain social distancing,” she said.

“We’ve got to figure out how we can do it in a safe way.”

Councillors will be sitting two metres apart in the chamber in order to maintain social distancing and allow them to speak and attend without wearing a mask all the time.

They will be required to mask up if they stand, move or speak to anyone without being able to maintain a two-metre distance.

Disero said every councillor has received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.