City enables telephone participation for public in Richmond Council meetings

21 May 2020

The public can now participate in City of Richmond Council meetings via telephone following implementation of a new access system for video meetings.

As part of its commitment to reduce mass gatherings and protect public safety due to COVID-19, Council began meeting on a remote basis via video conferencing in March. While effective for Council business, the technology limited the ability for the public to attend remotely and participate during question and delegation items.

In an effort to provide the public with options to participate in Council meetings in emergency circumstances such as the current COVID-19 pandemic, the City now offers participation remotely via telephone at meetings of Council.

Council Procedure Bylaw No. 7560, Amendment Bylaw No. 10188 was passed on Tuesday, May 19 and allows public delegations to be heard by electronic means on agenda items of Regular Council Meetings, Special Council Meetings, Standing Committee Meetings and Public Hearings. In this case, the City has enabled telephone access.

People who wish to speak at a meeting must register in advance. They will then receive instructions on how they will be connected on the day of the meeting along with any procedural requirements. They can also submit comments on meeting agenda items by email to CityClerk@richmond.ca or mail to: Mayor and Councillors, City of Richmond, 6911 No. 3 Road, Richmond, BC, V6Y 2C1. 

All Council meetings, including Standing Committees, Special Council and Public Hearings, will be live-streamed for the foreseeable future due to the pandemic at www.richmond.ca/watchonline.
 
While the public can still attend meetings of Council in person, measures remain in place to respect physical distancing requirements and adhere to recommended preventative measures to limit the spread of COVID-19. 

More information is available at www.richmond.ca/cityhall/council/phone-participation.