Norwich — Monday’s City Council meeting will mark a milestone in the city’s recovery from the yearlong COVID-19 shutdown and remote government meetings.

For the first time since last March, the meeting will be open to the public in person, as well as livestreamed on the city website, www.norwichct.org, and broadcast on Comcast Norwich Channel 97. The bench seating has been removed and replaced with individual chairs spaced apart — family members can move chairs together — and attendance will be limited to about 40 to 45 people, based on distancing requirements, City Manager John Salomone said. Attendance limits will include city staff. All attendees will be required to wear masks.

“We’ve had a lot of requests to go back to having people attend the meeting,” Salomone said, “so this is a first step in that process.”

City Hall has been closed to the public, except by appointment, since March 13, 2020, with municipal meetings held by video conference or teleconference. City offices will remain open by appointment only until mid-May, Salomone said, to allow time for all city employees to obtain COVID-19 vaccines if they wish and wait the 14-day post-shot period for the full effect of their vaccines.

Monday’s 7:30 p.m. council meeting in Council Chambers at City Hall will feature two major agenda items: Salomone’s annual budget presentation to the council and a public hearing on proposed zoning regulations to allow for Business Master Plan Districts to be created on 100 or more acres of land. The designation was proposed by the Norwich Community Development Corp. to create a second business park on former farmland in Occum.

If the room reaches its occupancy limit, overflow seating with a TV will be set up in Room 335 down the hall from Council Chambers for attendees. Anyone on the speakers’ sign-up sheet would be allowed to enter Council Chambers to speak.

The Business Master Plan District would work as an overlay on properties proposed for the district. The Commission on the City Plan endorsed the proposed ordinance last week, but with some significant changes. Most notably, the commission reduced the minimum size of the property from 200 acres to 100 acres to better allow the district to be proposed elsewhere in the city. The commission also asked for some architectural design standards and allowed for more flexibility in the types of businesses that could be located within the districts.

Deanna Rhodes, city planning director, said she has gotten some inquiries about the district from residents, but most were asking questions about where the district would be located and where proposed highway ramps might be located.

“At this point, that’s all speculative,” she said, “because the planning commission hasn’t received any master plans.”

The ordinance creating the regulations is the first step. If it is approved by the council, any proposed Business Master Plan District would require approval by the Commission on the City Plan, with a public hearing and more opportunities for public input.

“You’ll have more opportunities to talk about it,” Rhodes said. “The regulations need to be in effect before we can consider proposals.”

She said she hopes to attend Monday’s council meeting in person to address any questions from the council.

Other city boards and commissions might move to in-person meetings soon, as well. But first, city staff will have to assess each meeting room for capacity and distancing requirements. Some very small conference rooms will remain closed. Boards and commissions will be allowed to continue remote access meetings, Salomone said.

“It’s an important milestone for us on our road back,” he said of Monday’s council meeting. “Then we’ll be looking forward to May. I think it’s going to work out well, if our employees will be more comfortable and confident.”

Norwich Public Schools returned to five days of in-person learning on March 8 and remain in that model.

Norwich Public Utilities General Manager Chris LaRose said the utility is aiming at reopening the NPU customer service center at 173 N. Main St. in three or four weeks.

After hearing the budget presentation Monday, the City Council will meet with individual departments over the following week. Those sessions also will allow limited public attendance, Salomone said, but department staff will count toward room capacity. Department hearings begin at 6 p.m. Tuesday with fire departments, police and emergency management officials meeting with the council.

All reopening plans are contingent upon COVID-19 data for the city. Norwich dropped out of the so-called red zone two weeks ago, but cases are going up again, Salomone said. In the two weeks from March 7 through March 20, Norwich was at a case rate of 14.8 cases per 100,000 population, just below the red zone minimum of 15 cases per 100,000.

But Salomone said Monday’s council meeting opening remains on as planned.

c.bessette@theday.com