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Council adopts technology‑disruption policy to comply with state law on virtual public comment
Summary
Following state requirements, the council adopted a protocol that requires staff to attempt to restore virtual public‑comment systems for at least one hour after a disruption and permits the council, if restoration fails, to adjourn or continue without virtual comment; policy also includes steps to manage disruptive virtual participants.
Deputy City Manager Alan Demers and IT staff presented a proposed technology‑disruption protocol responding to recent state legislation (SB 707). The policy requires the city to make a good‑faith effort to restore virtual public‑comment access (Zoom/telephonic) for at least one hour if services fail. If the city cannot restore virtual access, the council may either adjourn the meeting or continue without virtual participation if it determines that is in the public interest. The policy also incorporates decorum measures to address disruptive or threatening virtual participants and aligns those steps with the council’s existing decorum authority.
Council members asked clarifying questions about whether the full hour is mandatory and whether the protocol also addresses disruptive speech; staff confirmed the one‑hour attempt is required but the council can reconvene sooner if service is restored, and that the policy supplements the council’s decorum rules for virtual participants. Council moved, seconded and approved the policy (motion passed 6 ayes, 1 absent).
