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COUNCIL
POLICY Effective Date: November 14, 2022
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SECTION: Corporate Services
TITLE: Electronic Meeting Policy
PURPOSE:
The Council Procedure Bylaw authorizes electronic meetings of Council or committees
upon authorization of the Mayor. The purpose of this policy is to provide guidance for
electronic meetings and electronic participation at Council of committee meetings.
SCOPE:
This policy applies to all members of Council or committees who wish to participate by
electronic means.
DEFINITIONS
Electronic meetings are meetings where all members of Council or committees participate
electronically.
Electronic participation is a hybrid meeting where some members of Council or
committee attend in-person and other members attend by electronic means.
POLICY PROCEDURE:
Council Meetings (Regular, Special, Committee of the Whole, Closed, Closed-Water)
1. Council members are expected to attend meetings in-person whenever possible.
2. In extenuating circumstances, a meeting of Council may be held electronically in
accordance with the Council Procedure Bylaw.
3. Electronic meetings and participation should reflect in-person meetings and
participation as closely as possible.
Electronic Meeting Policy
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4. In extenuating circumstances, Council members may participate electronically in
meetings. Such circumstances may include but are not limited to illness, injury, or
out of town travel.
5. Electronic participation by a Council member is permitted twice annually.
Continued electronic participation beyond that will be decided by Council.
6. To determine quorum, Council members will have their cameras on (when
possible/applicable) for the entire meeting.
7. If a Council member is leaving the meeting, even temporarily, a message, stating
this, will be sent in the chat to the host in order to mark the member as having left
the meeting. If the Council member returns to the meeting, a message, stating
this, will be sent in the chat to the host marking their return to the meeting.
8. Council members will stay muted unless they have been acknowledged by the
Chair to speak.
9. When voting, Council members will say “in favour” or “opposed”.
10. A Council member that declares a conflict of interest will be put in the electronic
meeting ‘waiting room’ while the item is being discussed.
11. Anyone participating electronically in a meeting that is closed to the public must
be able to maintain confidentiality.
12. If connectivity issues or interruptions to video/audio results in loss of quorum, the
meeting will recess up to 15 minutes. If after 15 minutes there is no quorum, the
provisions of the Council Procedure Bylaw apply and the meeting is adjourned
until the next scheduled meeting.
Committee Meetings
1. A committee meeting may be held electronically in accordance with the Council
Procedure Bylaw.
2. Electronic committee meetings and participation should reflect in-person
committee meetings and participation as closely as possible.
3. Committee members may participate electronically at meetings. Such
circumstances may include but are not limited to illness, injury or out of town
travel.
4. There are no limits to the number of consecutive electronic meetings or number
of times committee member participate electronically.
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5. To determine quorum, committee members will have their cameras on (when
possible/applicable) for the entire meeting.
6. If a committee member is leaving the meeting, even temporarily, a message,
stating this, will be sent in the chat to the host in order to mark the member as
having left the meeting. If the committee member returns to the meeting, a
message, stating this, will be sent in the chat to the host marking their return to
the meeting.
7. Committee members will stay muted unless they have been acknowledged by the
Chair to speak.
8. When voting, committee members will say “in favour” or “opposed”.
9. A committee member that declares a conflict of interest will be put in the
electronic meeting ‘waiting room’ while the item is being discussed.
10. Anyone participating electronically in a meeting that is closed to the public must
be able to maintain confidentiality.
11. If connectivity issues or interruptions to video/audio results in loss of quorum, the
meeting will recess up to 15 minutes. If after 15 minutes there is no quorum, the
provisions of the Council Procedure Bylaw apply and the meeting is adjourned
until the next scheduled meeting.
Approval History
Previous revisions/replaces: N/A
Approved by Council on: November 14, 2022 Resolution No.: COW-50/2022