Yesterday I was informed at the last minute that this topic was going to be on the Legal and Legislative Committee agenda that was taking place that day. I was not informed by my commissioner who was very aware that I created a petition on this topic, but a back door source let me know. (That is being addressed...).
I was allowed to speak on the topic and urged the committee to adopt a policy that would require the mic’s to be live the entirety of the commission and committee meetings. There were reasons given as to why this was not going to work, and, in my opinion, they are NOT valid. After a little bit of discussion, the committee agreed that a statement like the one below would be added to each of the meeting agendas and read by the chairmen of the commission or committee that is present before any business was conducted.
“Before we begin, I’d like to offer a quick reminder to all commissioners: please ensure your microphone is activated each time you speak. This helps maintain clarity for the record, for those joining us remotely, and for everyone here in the room. Thank you for helping us keep the meeting accessible and orderly.”
I am providing a link to the video that you can go watch and it is just the second where this topic was discussed.
I will be watching close, to see if this adjustment has any effect on the commissioners and committee members in future meetings. I do still encourage all of you who have supported this effort to share this petition because I do not think this is the fix for this issue. We have more work to do but I can’t fight and show up and talk on this subject without a lot of support behind me. This is the easiest way to have your voice heard. Please spread the news and try to help me get more signatures on this petition.