Palo Alto City Council in no rush to restore in-person meetings | News | Palo Alto Online |
The article discusses the decision by Prospect Heights City Council to eliminate Zoom broadcasts for their meetings. Previously, the city had offered a Zoom option for virtual attendees, particularly during the COVID pandemic. However, since the termination of the governor’s emergency COVID declaration, Prospect Heights has returned to their pre-declaration meeting format. The city now relies on live streaming services through local channel 17 and YouTube replays instead.
The City Administrator, Joe Wade, cited technical difficulties and the risk of violating the Open Meetings Act as reasons for eliminating Zoom. There was an incident during a Zoom meeting in April where a “porn hack” disrupted the city’s livestream. Although Wade mentioned “technical difficulties,” it is unclear if this referred to the porn hack incident. Wade stated that the Zoom feature served its purpose during the emergency declaration period but emphasized that the government’s priority is to function effectively.
The article notes that Prospect Heights City Council recently discussed the Zoom situation during their meeting on July 10, indicating that they will further evaluate the use of Zoom in the future.
Overall, Prospect Heights has decided to discontinue Zoom broadcasts for their meetings due to concerns about technical difficulties, potential violations of the Open Meetings Act, and the desire to prioritize effective governance.
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