By Jeff Grant | Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA
The Surprise City Council is ending a long-standing practice of allowing members who cannot be present at meetings to participate by phone, video hookup or other technological means.
A provision contained in revisions to the mayor and council rules and procedures sections Municipal Code scheduled for approval this week requires that members be present in order to participate in meetings. Council members had weighed allowing discussion — but no voting – by phone, but ultimately decided during last week’s workshop session to prohibit participation of any kind by phone. Such involvement is permitted under Arizona state law, which governs a number of facets of local government meeting procedures, including phone participation.
