Recently Huron County commissioners expressed their disinterest in allowing remote attendance to meetings to continue as the county resumes full operation.
During the county’s first in-person meeting since March, commissioners ignored a member of the public — a voting constituent — when they were questioned on the matter, a motion that frankly should upset every voter in the county.
Chairman Sami Khoury and fellow commissioners should reconsider before abandoning remote attendance for the public.
The county has already invested the time and money into providing the option, and continuing to do so would impose minimal additional costs. While Khoury said listening in could allow for things to be misunderstood or left out, the Tribune would challenge that.
Instead, continuing the practice of allowing people remote access to the public meetings would provide greater transparency into county business.
Newspapers have a long history of advocating for transparency, and the Tribune is no exception. In fact, just over one month ago we addressed this very issue.
The coronavirus had forced public bodies to invest the time and money into technological advancements to allow for remote access. These were “advancements” and not bandaids to limp by until it was business as usual again.
Times have changed and it seems the coronavirus pandemic has shed some light on the necessity of some of these changes.
There is no doubt that much of our economy requires hands-on involvement, but it has become apparent that much of it doesn’t. Remember that millions of workers were immediately displaced by the pandemic, while millions more made a quick adjustment to remote work conditions. While some of these remote conditions are not ideal long-term, some employers have realized the ability to change and many are deciding to continue the practice in a post-pandemic life.
This realization needs to carry over to public bodies. It is undeniable that public involvement in most public bodies has waned over the years, with many boards meeting without any public in attendance. Now, these advancements provide the opportunity to be more transparent and inevitably obtain more public buy-in. By not continuing these practices, it certainly leaves people scratching their heads and wondering what you are trying to hide.
We asked government bodies to discuss this and really consider what it would cost them. They need to remember that they aren’t there to represent only themselves, but all of us and they should at least consider what is best for us all.
There is no guarantee that the coronavirus is behind us. States that were overly aggressive in reopening have seen an uptick in positive cases and deaths. Health experts are saying it could be late this year or early next before we see a vaccine. Do you really need to require that people attend in person if they want stay informed? Do you really think that is the best way to lead the county?
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June 27, 2020 at 05:00PM
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Editorial: County commissioners need to allow remote meeting access - Huron Daily Tribune
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