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Commission weighs limited remote voting, commissioners split on changes
Summary
Vice Mayor again proposed allowing limited remote participation for commissioners. Supporters favored a capped allowance with notice; opponents warned the practice could erode in-person deliberation and be abused. Staff will return with more detail in three months.
The commission considered whether to allow limited remote voting for commissioners who cannot attend in person.
"I'm gonna keep bringing this every 3 months as long as you guys keep saying no," the vice mayor said, arguing for flexibility for emergencies or travel and proposing limits (for example, one regularly scheduled meeting per commissioner or two remote votes per year).
Supporters said caps and advance-notice rules would limit abuse and preserve in-person deliberation; others said even a small allowance risks turning meetings virtual and weakens the benefits of in-person discussion. "I'm still on the same path...I don't believe that remote voting is a good idea for us," one commissioner said.
The commission discussed guardrails — excluding quasi-judicial matters, advance notice, limits on concurrent remote participants — but did not adopt policy. The vice mayor said she will reintroduce the item in three months with additional information.
