Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Virtual Participation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council supports studying return of Zoom public comment with registration and safeguards
Summary
Councilors favored bringing back remote public comment if staff can implement safeguards (registration, closed registration at start time, on-camera requirement, two-factor confirmation) and directed staff to present feasible options by the first council meeting in January.
Councilors discussed restoring remote public comment via Zoom or another platform but emphasized the need for safeguards to prevent bad-faith actors and disruption. Suggestions included pre-registration with the link closed when the meeting starts, on-camera participation, a one- or two-factor confirmation, and a chair-controlled disconnect button to remove disruptive participants.
Council members asked staff to research platforms and legal implications, to check accessibility and reasonable-accommodation timelines, and to return with a package of options that includes an assessment of technical difficulty, risk tolerance and proposed rules. Staff reported some peer cities had discontinued open remote comment while others reported few problems; council asked those comparisons to be included in staff recommendations.
Accessibility concerns were raised: councilors noted people without cameras and accommodation timelines that might make remote access harder for some residents; the council asked staff to evaluate reasonable-accommodation procedures alongside technical options. Staff will present recommended protocols to the council in January or at the earliest feasible council meeting.
