Saint John is looking to update its bylaws so councillors can attend regular meetings electronically in certain instances.
Virtual council meetings were allowed over the last couple of years under the COVID-19 state of emergency.
Outside of that, general counsel Melanie Tompkins said the city’s bylaws do not currently allow for electronic attendance at regular meetings.
“When council first enacted its procedural bylaw in 2010, before the era of the pandemic and virtual meetings, it chose at the time to limit virtual attendance to special or emergency meetings of council and closed committee of the whole meetings,” Tompkins told council Monday night.
“The Local Governance Act, however, provides broader authority than the procedural bylaw currently does by permitting the use of electronic means of participation in any meeting of council or committee as long as the requirements of the Act are met.”
The proposed changes, which passed first and second readings Monday night, would essentially align the city’s bylaw with the provincial legislation.
Under the Local Governance Act, councillors can only able to attend meetings electronically if they are outside of the local government at the time or are physically unable to attend.
In addition, councillors can not participate electronically at more than one-quarter of the regular council meetings in a one-year period or at more than four special council meetings in a one-year period “except for reasons of disability.”
Council is will vote on the third and final reading of the proposed changes at a later date.
