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Committee delays action on electronic public‑comment policy amid ADA dispute and procedural concerns
Summary
Committee declined to take O‑26‑002 (electronic public comment accommodation for people with walking disabilities) off the table tonight, citing the need for legal and staff presence and public notice; members agreed to return the item to the next meeting so public input and legal memos can be reviewed.
A proposal (O‑26‑002) to allow electronic public comment for people with walking disabilities under the city's ADA process remained tabled after the committee debated whether to take it off the table for immediate discussion.
Clerk read a communication from deputy corporation counsel Dorothy Clark clarifying aspects of the ordinance. Alderman Paula Johnson, who sponsored the measure, urged the committee to take it up for discussion; other members said they had not received sufficient notice and wanted legal and staff experts present before considering the ordinance. Johnson argued the ordinance is an ADA accommodation and said she intended to file a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights if the city continued to delay compliance, calling the lack of action a serious problem for residents with disabilities.
The committee voted not to remove the item from the table for immediate discussion, but later moved to place it on the next meeting's agenda so staff, legal counsel and the public can participate. Members emphasized the next meeting should include the legal memo and allow the public (particularly residents with disabilities) time to weigh in.
