The Superior Common Council on Nov. 16 adopted an ordinance amending city code to permit citizen boards and commissions to participate and vote via audio or video conferencing when members can hear and be heard. The ordinance excludes the full city council and the six standing council committees, which will still require in-person attendance.

Mayor Payne told the council the change responds to repeated quorum struggles on citizen panels and that the city would continue to provide a physical meeting space for public access. "So if you're attending virtually, as long as you can hear and be heard, you will be considered present," he said.

The ordinance prompted a vigorous debate over the city’s in-room technology. "We have a $30,000,000 operating budget, and we're still using Google Meets because it's free," Councilor Fennessy said, arguing the city should upgrade audiovisual equipment before expanding remote participation. He moved to refer the ordinance to the Communications and IT (CIT) committee for recommendations; that referral failed on a council vote.

Councilor Van Sickle and others said the ordinance should pass now to prevent repeated cancellations of citizen-led boards. "I would ask the council to pass this tonight so that we can make those recommendations moving forward," Van Sickle said. Councilor Ludwig noted hybrid meetings have worked for some bodies: he described a tree board member who was able to participate while deployed.

Councilors also discussed practical steps to preserve public access, including keeping a physical meeting room and asking the committee chair to be present in the room. After discussion and a retaken voice vote, the council adopted the ordinance.

The city said it would pursue technology improvements in parallel, including potential ceiling microphones, improved speakers, and camera solutions to enhance remote participation. The new ordinance becomes part of city code chapter 2, article 2, section 2-32.

The council did not record a roll-call breakdown for the final adoption beyond the verbal confirmation that the motion carried. The mayor said staff and the CIT committee will continue work to make remote access reliable and accessible for the public.