Vice Mayor Maria Lama reopened a discussion about allowing commissioners to vote remotely when unable to attend in person, saying she had been prevented from voting while ill at a recent meeting and wanted the commission to consider a policy change.
City Attorney Alan told the commission there is no existing written policy permitting remote voting and that the city charter and code contain language that strongly suggests members should be physically present. “You don't actually have a policy,” Alan said. “Your charter controls and then your code is secondary.”
Alan explained legal and procedural issues commissioners would need to resolve to allow remote voting: reconciling the charter’s forfeiture‑by‑absence provisions with a rule that counts remote participants as present for voting; setting technology standards so remote participants have full access to staff materials and public proceedings; and excluding quasi‑judicial matters from remote participation to avoid due‑process concerns. He said remote voting is not illegal under Florida law but would require careful code amendments and procedural guardrails.
Commissioners split on the proposal. Commissioner Stevenson and Commissioner Joseph said they preferred the status quo and argued presence is important because members can hear late additions to the record and talk with colleagues and residents before votes. Commissioner Viscara, who participated remotely in this meeting, argued for a middle path: allow telephonic or virtual participation on an exception basis with clear guardrails and limits, and align the charter and code accordingly. Vice Mayor Maria Lama said technology such as livestreams and document distribution can address many concerns when a member is following an item closely.
The city clerk said there have been prior instances in which absent commissioners voted telephonically, though the clerk could not provide exact dates during the meeting. No ordinance or resolution to change the code was introduced and no vote was taken. Commissioners discussed asking staff and the city attorney to draft options for how the city might allow limited remote participation and to address technology and quorum language if the commission decides to pursue changes.
The discussion closed without a formal decision; commissioners asked for clarification and suggested possible next steps, including model language and examples from other municipalities.