Tinicum supervisors allow remote participation for volunteers on select advisory bodies

Tinicum Township supervisors voted July 7 to allow volunteers on several advisory committees to participate remotely for good cause, a change intended to remove barriers to volunteer engagement.

The motion—moved and approved by the board—applies to the Parks & Recreation Committee, Land Preservation Committee, Historic Commission and Environmental Advisory Council. Supervisors and the township solicitor reviewed guidance from the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act and the Office of Open Records that allows members to participate by telephone or video provided absent members can hear and be heard by everyone present; such members count toward a quorum and may take official action if contemporaneous audio connection is maintained.

The board also discussed practicalities: the township will provide a speakerphone or allow members to conference in on their cell phones where service permits, and staff are finalizing volunteer forms and recommended releases required by the township’s insurance provider. The parks-and-recreation committee noted one current member proposed stepping into an associate (nonvoting) role, and the committee continues to recruit active volunteers for a full voting seat.

Supervisors framed the change as a way to retain capable volunteers who have family or work constraints that limit in-person attendance; the policy requires committee chairs to ensure the physical meeting site remains open for the public and that remote participation does not block public notice or comment.