Tinicum supervisors approve remote participation for volunteers on select committees

The Tinicum Township Board of Supervisors voted to permit volunteer committee members to participate remotely for good cause on four advisory groups: the Parks & Recreation Committee, the Land Preservation Committee, the Historic Commission and the Environmental Advisory Council.

During debate, the manager read guidance from the Office of Open Records explaining that, under the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act, agency members may participate by telephone or video conference and that members participating remotely may be counted toward a quorum so long as they can hear and be heard contemporaneously by those in the room. The board agreed the remote connection must be on speakerphone or otherwise audible to attendees so the public can hear remote participants.

Supervisor discussion covered logistics (phone vs. video), procurement of a speakerphone and the limits of remote participation for bodies that must review large plans (planning commission) or hold quasi‑judicial hearings (zoning hearing board). The board directed committee chairs to open the building for public access and manage the conference connection; they also confirmed that the showing of good cause can be handled at the committee level and that the board will finalize volunteer paperwork and insurance‑related forms before rolling out volunteer duties.

The motion, made and seconded during the meeting, passed unanimously as recorded on the meeting transcript; the board asked staff to prepare forms and return them for approval before permitting volunteers to begin physical work under the township program.