On Tuesday, the Antioch City council will discuss the idea of bringing back Zoom for its city council meetings.
The item comes at the request of Vice Mayor Tamisha Torres-Walker who requested the item return for discussion during the June 7 meeting. If approved, it would allow the public to participate remotely and not have to be in the council chambers.
Back on February 28 the council unanimously approved its motion to conduct its meetings without Zoom and instead be in person—which included city council and city boards, commissions, and committees.
At the meeting, Councilmember Mike Barbanica stated he was not in favor of Zoom.
“I am not for this; I have not been for this. COVID is over and we can come here and meeting in person,” said Barbanica. “These should be in person meetings and councilmembers should be here in person face to face with the public.”
Mayor Lamar Thorpe highlighted the provisions under the law require elected officials to provide notice of the hotel, their room or where they are conducting a meeting from—the provisions exempt the council twice a year under “just cause”.
“I am for just going back to normal. I am with you,” said Thorpe.
The item passed in a 3-0 vote with Thorpe, Barbanica and Ogorchock in favor with councilmembers Tamisha Torres-Walker and Monica Wilson absent from the meeting.
On Tuesday, the agenda item considers whether Council seeks to:
- continue to conduct meetings of the City Council and City boards, commissions, and committees in person and without teleconferencing;
- implement teleconference meeting accommodations for members of the public to make public comments, but require members of the City Council and City boards, commissions, and committees to participate in person and without teleconferencing, or
- implement teleconference meeting accommodations, as permitted by AB 2449, for Brown Act meetings of the City Council and City boards, commissions, and committees.
Editors Note
- With Zoom was available, the Antioch City Council meetings have been utilized for folks to make anonymous comments through teleconference and attack the council.
- On Sept. 20, the City of Sacramento issued a statement that council meetings are now done in person and have phased out virtual meetings and will hold in-person meetings for all its boards, commissions and committees.
- Over the past year, the City of Walnut Creek, San Jose, Richmond were the target of several people calling in spewing “hate”.
Antioch City Council Meeting
Date: Tuesday, September 26, 2023
Time: 6:00 P.M. – Closed Session
7:00 P.M. – Regular Meeting
Place: Council Chambers
200 ‘H’ Street Antioch, CA 94509
Full Agenda – click here
2 comments
Barbanica – if you where as angry about that major issues going on in your city as you are about people being able to be on a zoom , I think you would get much more results in your sh@thole of City.
Anyone who votes for him for supervisor is nuts. He does even less than Monica Wilson.
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