PORTAGE (WKZO AM/FM) — Portage elected officials say technology has improved so much they hope to not only allow City Council members to still attend meetings when they can’t be in town, but to vote from remote as well.
They approved a new policy last night that sets the rules for attending meetings when it’s not possible to do it personally.
Council Member Claudette Reid, who says she uses technology regularly in her job, and is the only council member to attend a work session by phone, opposed the policy, saying their work is too complex to just phone it in. Too much is missed in the communication process.
Council member Terry Urban objected to a provision that would require other members to approve remote participation on a case by case basis, saying it could be used to manipulate the outcome of close votes. Instead they adopted a blanket policy.
Council members would be limited to three remote participation opportunities each calendar year. After that any subsquent requests would have to be approved by the rest of the council.
Councilman Richard Ford, who has been a big advocate of the city going digital, says seven will always be better than six, even if one isn’t getting the full picture.
Mayor Patricia Randall, a cancer survivor who missed meetings when she was undergoing treatments says there are a lot of medical and family reasons to have the option available.
It passed 5 to 2.
