Governance committee favors narrow remote-voting allowance, requests 4-hour notice

Committee chair called the Governance Committee to discuss bylaw 0167.1 and whether board members should be allowed to vote when attending remotely. After extended discussion, members agreed on a narrow approach: remote voting should be permitted only in extraordinary circumstances and the committee chair will draft amendment language reflecting that principle.

The committee’s discussion centered on balancing participation and accountability. Missus Voir said remote access can broaden representation but warned it weakens engagement and could change outcomes in close votes. ‘‘I feel that we want to encourage people to vote… and yet, I don’t wanna encourage people to not coming to meetings,’’ she said, adding concern about who would decide whether an absence qualifies as exceptional.

Several members urged limiting remote voting to emergencies. Mister Bellagio said it should be ‘‘strictly an emergency basis’’ and cited surgery as an example of an acceptable reason. Mister Coe described travel and preplanned commitments as edge cases that merit consideration but said the expectation should remain physical attendance.

Operational and notice details also guided the committee’s decision. Mister Peltz, a district staff member, confirmed the district uses Zoom, said staff can spotlight remote participants so they appear on the meeting screen, and recommended a consistent process for hand-raising and chat so remote members can indicate they wish to speak. Ms. Barbian asked that the president and executive assistant be notified when a member plans to attend remotely and requested at least four hours’ notice to allow staff to promote that person on the platform and make them visible to the committee.

The chair emphasized the expectation that board members ‘‘will be physically present at all board meetings except for extenuating circumstances’’ and said the bylaw language should give the board president authority to address patterns of frequent remote attendance. The chair also noted that remote access during executive sessions would require consultation with legal counsel before any change.

The chair said they will draft specific amendment language to 0167.1 incorporating the committee’s guidance and bring the changes to the next governance meeting for review.

What’s next: The chair will circulate draft bylaw language in advance of the next governance meeting for committee review.