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Council approves limited mobile‑device access at meetings after debate, 4–3
Summary
After public comments urging cellphone access, Erie County Council amended and adopted Ordinance 71 to permit attendees to carry and use mobile devices at council meetings so long as use does not interfere with orderly conduct. The measure passed on a 4–3 vote after debate and a reported objection from the sheriff.
Erie County Council on Tuesday approved Ordinance No. 71‑2026, permitting attendees to carry and access mobile devices at county council meetings for communication and recording so long as use does not interfere with orderly conduct. The council adopted a substantive amendment narrowing the title and clarifying scope before the final vote, which passed 4–3.
Public commenters had urged the council to open meetings to phone use. Cole Shendley, a resident of the City of Erie, told the council: "I really hope that you guys do decide to pass, this ordinance to open up the cell phones and let people use them during a meeting." Deonte Cooley and Bridal Tepper also spoke in favor of loosening device restrictions during public comment.
Council member (speaker 2) read a proposed amendment into the record that would retitle the measure "mobile device access at county council meetings" and explicitly reference a 2016 court administrative order that limited electronic device use inside courtrooms. The amendment concluded that the court order is "limited to the prohibition of the use of mobile and other electronic devices within the courtrooms and hearing rooms of the Erie County Court of Common Pleas" and stated the council's view that the safety concerns behind that order "are not applicable to county council meetings." The amendment also made the ordinance effective immediately upon adoption.
Not all members supported the change. A council member who identified concerns about law‑enforcement preferences noted that "our meeting with the sheriff though, he is very, very much against this," and said they would vote no. After discussion and a roll call, the ordinance carried by a 4–3 margin.
The ordinance now authorizes attendees to carry and access mobile devices for communication and recording consistent with the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act, with a behavioral standard that use must not interfere with orderly conduct. Council did not specify enforcement mechanisms in the ordinance text read into the record; implementation details will be set by council practice and staff procedures going forward.
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