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Commissioners debate remote participation rules; no change recommended tonight
Summary
Planning staff outlined a city council ordinance that allows limited remote participation and noted a related charter ballot on April 7 for council; commissioners raised concerns about attendance, public access and community expectations and agreed to await the April 7 vote before pursuing a planning-commission resolution.
Planning staff presented a request to permit limited remote participation for planning commissioners and explained how the City Council structured its ordinance and a related charter question that will appear on the April 7 ballot.
Jason Armstrong said council limited remote participation so no more than two members may be remote and the chair must be physically present. He also noted the charter historically requires meetings be held at city hall and that council debated whether remote participation satisfies that requirement; council elected to operate under an ordinance while asking voters to approve a charter amendment on April 7 to reflect the change.
Commissioners raised procedural and civic-engagement concerns. One commissioner said in-person attendance is important to represent the public and to preserve face-to-face discussion, calling on commissioners to "show up" except for extraordinary circumstances such as illness or immobility. Others said limited remote participation could be useful for occasional absences but worried it could become a habitual substitute for in-person service.
No formal action was taken. Staff offered to prepare a memo and draft resolution for a future meeting if the commission wishes to consider rules mirroring council's ordinance; several commissioners recommended waiting for the outcome of the April 7 charter vote before pursuing a commission-level change.
