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Lago Vista staff activates discussion boards and city email logins for commissions after state law change
Summary
Staff told the Building and Standards Commission on Sept. 3 that commissioners have been given city email accounts and access to a discussion-board feature on the city website after a state law change allowing such boards. Posts will be archived and visible to the public; commissioners must log in to post and cannot delete or edit posts.
City staff told the Lago Vista Building and Standards Commission at its Sept. 3 meeting that the city has created discussion-board pages and issued city email logins for commission members following a state law change that allows online discussion boards for committees and commissions.
Staff said the city-provided email accounts keep commissioners’ personal email from being subject to open-records requests and that all posts and emails will be archived as city records. The discussion boards are publicly viewable, but commissioners must log in to post and cannot delete or edit their posts once published. Staff emphasized that the online boards may be used for discussion but cannot be used to cast votes.
Why it matters: The change creates an asynchronous channel for commissioners to exchange technical information and discuss agenda items in advance of meetings, which commissioners said could shorten meeting length by resolving procedural or informational questions ahead of time.
Details from the meeting: Staff showed commissioners how to log in and said the discussion boards are linked from the city website’s council/discussions area. A staff member told commissioners the software will archive posts automatically so there is always a record of city business conducted by email or on the discussion board.
Ending: Commissioners indicated they will try the discussion boards between now and the next meeting and exchange ideas there about the ordinance-referral draft and other items.
