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Council adopts remote-attendance policy with limits and procedural safeguards
Summary
Council adopted a remote-attendance policy—allowing members to attend up to six meetings remotely per year with advance notice, requiring at least five members physically present, roll-call votes, and the presiding officer in the room; the policy excludes closed sessions and permits emergency/illness accommodations.
The City Council adopted a local remote-attendance policy for council and Committee of the Whole meetings that sets procedural limits and operational safeguards.
Staff said the policy permits council members to attend up to six meetings per calendar year remotely (committee or council meetings in any combination) on a first‑come, first‑served basis with advance notice, requires a quorum of at least five members physically present in the meeting room, mandates roll‑call votes and that the presiding officer (mayor or acting mayor) be physically present. The draft also excluded boards and commissions and prohibited remote attendance during closed sessions.
Council members discussed illness and emergency accommodations; the council amended the draft to allow short‑notice remote attendance for illness/emergency (subject to public notice rules), to remove a requirement for an hour‑advance technology test but retain practical notice for IT staff, and to require that the presiding officer be physically present. The council approved the amended policy.
