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Portsmouth members agree to bimonthly meetings; staff to send calendar invites and provide glossary and timeline
Summary
The group agreed by consensus to move to a bimonthly meeting schedule beginning in August, asked staff for calendar invites and a glossary of terms, and were told Virginia law restricts routine electronic participation without a formal policy.
Portsmouth City members discussed changing the oversight meeting cadence and administrative practices and reached consensus to meet every other month, with the next meeting scheduled for August on the second Tuesday at 4 p.m.
The City manager framed the suggestion by saying the program is entering a phase with fewer monthly actions and that quarterly meetings might avoid needless sessions. Several members recommended a compromise cadence and urged a short work session to bring newer members up to speed. One member requested clearer terminology: "maybe there are already some terms of art that says this is what connected means… versus connected means potential to turn something on versus can turn something on." Staff agreed to develop a glossary so all members share the same definitions.
Members asked for calendar invites to lock in attendance. The clerk said staff will send calendar invites and confirmed the group’s consensus to meet bimonthly starting in August. The meeting time was confirmed as the second Tuesday at 4:00 p.m.
On remote participation, staff noted that Virginia law restricts routine electronic meetings and that limited exceptions require an adopted policy and specific circumstances (illness, travel). A staff member advising on legal constraints said remote dial-in is possible only under narrow allowances and that proxies are not permitted for quorum.
Procedural note: A motion to approve minutes from prior meetings was carried earlier in the session (minutes covered Feb. 10–May 12 and Jan. 13); no registered public speakers addressed the board and the meeting adjourned.
Next steps: Staff will issue calendar invites, prepare a glossary of technical terms for members, and present a more detailed rollout timeline at the August meeting.
