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Commissioner urges restoring Zoom for finance meetings; motion fails, topic set for May review
Summary
Commissioner Justin Knepper said constituents want Zoom retained for finance meetings to improve transparency; the motion to retain Zoom received no support and the chairman asked that discussion be added to the board's May agenda.
SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. — Commissioner Justin Knepper told the Feb. 13 Chippewa County Board meeting that constituents have complained about a lack of transparency after the Finance Committee stopped routinely offering Zoom access.
Knepper said he had asked that the committee continue to provide Zoom access and moved to retain it for review through the rest of the year, but the motion did not receive a second. Chairman Jim Martin responded that the prior decision to end Zoom was not made by email because such action could violate the Michigan Open Meetings Act and asked that the Zoom topic be placed on the board's May agenda for further consideration.
No formal vote was recorded after the failed motion; the board did not reverse the standing committee practice at the Feb. 13 meeting. Commissioners noted that typical attendance via Zoom for finance meetings has been low and that the commissioner's spouse has sometimes been the only remote attendee. The chairman asked staff to track requests to observe finance meetings remotely and to report back at the May review.
