In-vehicle council participation kiboshed

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/02/2022 (1484 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

AFTER one city councillor drove his vehicle while remotely attending a council meeting with a hands-free device, council looks poised to set rules for virtual participation.

On Thursday, council’s governance committee approved a set of bylaw changes, including one that would require elected city officials who attend council or committee meetings remotely to do so from a city hall or home office or “other similar suitable location” approved by council’s speaker or the committee chairperson.

If the speaker or chairperson wants to participate from an alternative location, council or committee members would have to vote to approve it, should council approve the changes.

The new “decorum” rules come in the wake of the Jan. 27 council meeting, during which Coun. Matt Allard was publicly called out for continuing his remote video feed while driving with a hands-free device. He children were in the car with him at the time.

“It doesn’t work at all for obvious reasons, for many different reasons, being in a vehicle and trying to participate in an interactive council meeting. This isn’t just any other Zoom meeting or informal meeting. This is official city business that we conduct and we’re dealing with very important issues,” said Coun. Devi Sharma, who is council’s speaker, just prior to Thursday’s vote.

During the Jan. 27 meeting, Sharma asked Allard to disconnect from the meeting until he could return to his desk, after he was spotted behind the wheel.

Allard objected, noting he was picking up his child from daycare and allowing his daughter to adjust his mute button when needed.

“I don’t see why I should be precluded from participation. I am wearing a suit and my daughter has her hand very close to the mute button,” Allard said at the time.

Sharma also noted she was concerned about Allard’s safety before the exchange ended.

On Thursday, Allard told the Free Press he’s disappointed some councillors accused him of distracted driving during the January meeting.

“While operating your vehicle, you need to use a hands-free device, which is what I was using. When people started talking about safety, I was offended because I realized they were saying I was putting my children at risk and that made me angry. It did come as a surprise,” he said.

The councillor said he made the drive while council speeches took place and he could have pulled over if a vote had been held earlier than expected.

Allard said he does support the rule changes because they would clarify expectations for how council members should virtually participate in meetings.

The location rule is not the only change proposed.

Council members who remotely participate in meetings would also be officially required to leave their video feed on throughout entire meetings, while ensuring their video displays a neutral, office setting or blurred background. Those who experience technical difficulties with video links could participate by audio if the committee chairperson or speaker approves.

For a speaker or committee chairperson to switch from video to audio only, a committee or council vote of approval would be required.

Council members, city staff and residents have been able to participate remotely at council and committee meetings since April 2020, shortly after COVID-19 began spreading in Manitoba.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga