Newly-elected Milwaukee County board members take oaths of office curbside

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Newly-elected members of the Milwaukee County board got curbside service as they took their oaths of office.

They were sworn in while in their cars in the courthouse annex parking lot Monday.

This was a case of state law meeting social distance rules.

The law says the county clerk must be present for the swearing in, it can't be done online. 

"We felt this was the safest way to conduct this, as well as adhering to state laws and open meeting laws and so on," said Milwaukee County Clerk George Christenson.

"I think, you know, as a society, that we should have been doing some of these things all along, to keep away other viruses that are detrimental in our society," said Milwaukee County Supervisor Sylvia Ortiz-Velez. "So I think the society's gonna look entirely different."

The new county board later held its first meeting by video conference.