I have put this video together to share my thoughts going into tonight’s meeting.
Reading the paper it is clear that online meetings have worked very well, increasing transparency and engagement. They are easily accessible and therefore inclusive. Officers time can be better spent on doing their day job rather than driving to long meetings where they may be only needed for 5 minutes of the meeting.
The key issue is audio quality when meetings are held in the council office. It is just abysmal and on reviewing the statistics for key meetings, the average viewing figures have halved.
Cllr Neil Knowles has expertise in sound and radio. He is also half deaf and so knows what is needed to create a positive experience and I will be pushing for his opinion to be sought in these matters.
Reading the paper, they are looking for O&S meetings to be in person when we are advised that they are not decision making meetings. The only thing that happens in recent meetings, as no topics are selected from the Work Schedule, is nodding standard papers through. And since quorum is 3, I’m happy for the Tories to sit in a meeting room while I offer my thoughts very clearly on Zoom for residents in an open, transparent and hopefully engaging way.
Residents can let me know what they think and may influence my decision as being Independent, I get to make my own mind up on topics under discussion.
So ultimately, Cllrs decide if they attend in person or via Zoom depending on their own criteria. Please read the info below and let me know what you think.
Thank you.
Jon
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