Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Remote Participation Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Thornton council to study remote participation rules after heated debate
Summary
Councilmembers debated whether to end or limit remote participation for elected members and volunteer boards, and agreed to discuss options at an upcoming planning session rather than make an immediate change.
Thornton City Council members debated whether to curtail or eliminate remote participation for elected officials and volunteer boards Wednesday, and directed staff to bring options to a future planning session.
Councilmember Justin Martinez opened the discussion, saying remote rules adopted during the COVID‑19 emergency may no longer serve the city. “My suggestion would be that we return back to the policy that we had pre COVID, and remove remote participation,” Martinez said. He told the council that constituents have complained about remote participation making it harder to follow meetings and to communicate with council members.
Councilmembers raised accessibility and consistency concerns in a wide-ranging debate. Some urged caution. “I don't feel comfortable making a decision tonight on a policy like this when it could affect somebody's accessibility,” Councilmember Roberta Ayala said, citing participants who rely on remote access for reasons such as injury or caregiving responsibilities. Councilmember Chris Russell said his main concern is the meeting chair: “My preference, if it wasn't to get rid of remote altogether, it would be for the chair,” he said, noting past instances when in‑room nonverbal cues helped him participate.
Several members proposed that any change for council should apply equally to boards and commissions. “If we're gonna require that, then I would also like all of our boards and commissions to then return to in person as well,” one councilmember said. Staff suggested multiple options for the planning session: a report on common municipal practices, draft ordinance language, and exceptions for state or federal accommodations.
Council asked staff to prepare options that could include (1) prohibiting remote participation for council members or for the chair, (2) aligning boards and commissions policies with council rules, and (3) preserving emergency or legally required accommodations. City staff noted the existing policy contains language that state and federal law and accommodations take precedence: “Should electronic participation be required for reasons protected by state or federal law, that required accommodation shall take precedence over this rule,” a staff member said.
Council did not change the remote participation policy at the meeting and agreed by consensus to place a fuller discussion on a future planning session agenda.
