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Stow City Commission on Inclusion adopts bylaws that allow remote attendance with limits
Summary
The Stow City Commission on Inclusion unanimously adopted a set of bylaws that incorporate recent changes to state open-meetings rules permitting video attendance, subject to notice and substantive limits.
The Stow City Commission on Inclusion voted unanimously to adopt a set of bylaws that explicitly allow members to attend meetings by video conference under conditions set by recent changes to the state open‑meetings law.
The bylaws formalize existing parliamentary procedures and add a remote‑attendance process that requires a member who will join by video to notify the commission chair at least 48 hours ahead of the meeting. The rules also list circumstances in which remote attendance is not permitted, mirroring limits in the state open‑meetings provision: votes on major nonroutine expenditures, significant hiring decisions, and any proposal to approve a tax issue or tax increase. The bylaws also implement a requirement that if, not later than 48 hours before a meeting, the greater of 10% of the body’s members or two members request that an agenda item be acted on fully in person, the meeting (or that item) must be held in person.
Steve, from the law department, explained the remote‑attendance provisions and the statutory restrictions, noting the law was relaxed during the COVID period, tightened afterward, and has been changed again to permit limited video attendance. “They have to notify the chairperson of that intent not less than 48 hours before the meeting,” Steve said, summarizing the notice requirement.
Commission members discussed quorum language and voting thresholds. Because the commission currently has an even number of seated members, the bylaws define the quorum as ‘‘half’’ of the membership rather than ‘‘a majority’’ so the body can meet when four members are present under the present membership count. The bylaws otherwise rely on standard parliamentary procedures and include an amendment process.
The commission moved and adopted the bylaws at the end of the meeting; the motion was seconded by Sharon and carried unanimously. The transcript does not record the member who made the motion.
The commission scheduled its next regular meeting for July 22 at 5:15 p.m. in the City Hall Boards and Commissions Room.
