Josephine staff run training on new meeting platform; public will not see live votes

Josephine city staff demonstrated a new meeting-management and e-voting platform during the council work session, and ran a test vote for council members.

The demonstration showed how agenda items, motion text and voting options will appear on a split screen for each member. Staff said members received an automated email with a temporary password and can reset it through a “forgot password” link. The platform used in the demonstration was identified in discussion as the “Diligent” platform.

Why it matters: Staff said the tool will let councilmembers access documents during meetings, cast votes electronically and display final tallies for transparency among members. Staff emphasized that although residents can subscribe to receive the meeting packet when it is posted, the platform will not show live vote tallies to the public; the mayor will read aloud results during meetings.

Details from the session: Staff walked the council through a test agenda item labeled “voting council” dated for the meeting; several councilmembers confirmed they could access and cast the test vote from their devices. Councilmembers asked procedural questions about password requirements and what notifications residents receive. Staff said the system sends an automated email to the city account when packets are posted and that residents may subscribe to email alerts for future agendas.

What was not decided: The session was a work session and no formal policies or votes about the platform were taken. Staff said they can assist members in-person after the meeting to change passwords and address login problems.

What’s next: Staff will continue training and troubleshooting; the system will be used for future meetings once staff confirm login and document posting processes.