COLUMBIA – The Columbia City Council is set to revisit whether people can join commission meetings online, according to the agenda for the council’s meeting on Tuesday.
This comes after a trial program for virtual access to committee meetings expired in June.
The trial program started in November 2021 after the council passed an ordinance allowing virtual meeting access for the Broadband Task Force, Disabilities Commission and Youth Advisory Council.
The council will look at amending that ordinance to continue the virtual access and potentially extend the option to other meetings.
This comes after the council’s meeting on June 21 where members motioned to revisit the termination date of the program, which was set to expire on June 30.
Eligible boards for a possible permanent program include the Disabilities Commission and the Youth Advisory Council.
This virtual program is only applicable to individuals that are prevented from attending an eligible board’s meeting in person.
The program is intended to make attendance more accessible rather than for mere convenience.
Previous keystone meetings include May 12, 2022, where city council unanimously passed three separate motions to expand virtual attendance.
These motions include:
- Extending the virtual meeting trial program for the Disabilities Commission and Youth Advisory Council.
- Authorizing that all boards and commissions allow virtual attendance for its meetings. Spectators can observe the meeting remotely, but no comments or participation is allowed.
- Implementation of a city-wide virtual participation program for all boards and commissions, which includes City Council.
The city manager will provide the council with a report on expanding the virtual program to include additional boards and commissions.
This is an ongoing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
