Why this matters
State law requires public agencies to allow citizens to participate in meetings, but the COVID-19 pandemic upended in-person rules. Now that the pandemic is over, agencies are addressing how to handle virtual participation.
San Diego City Council President Sean Elo-Rivera is pulling his proposal that would have removed virtual comment from public meetings.
Elo-Rivera was scheduled to introduce his proposal to the council’s Rules Committee last month. It would have ended the city’s yearslong practice of allowing residents to comment at council meetings through phone calls or internet streaming, such as Zoom.
But following reporting from inewsource and its San Diego Documenters program about the proposal, hundreds of people — either in person, virtually or through written comments — urged councilmembers to reject the proposal. They argued that eliminating virtual comment would prevent many, especially those with disabilities or financial challenges, from being able to voice their opinions on city decisions.
In a statement Thursday, Elo-Rivera said people have since underscored to him the importance of virtual public comment.
“I understand and appreciate these concerns and will no longer pursue changes to virtual public comment in that rules package,” he said.
The option to allow people to speak virtually during meetings became more common as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, when agencies began meeting remotely.
As the effects of COVID have waned, some cities across California have removed the option to participate virtually. Elo-Rivera said his proposal aligned with that trend.
“As a community organizer and advocate, I believe in expanding the voices heard at City Hall,” he said. “As Council President, I also have a responsibility to manage the docket efficiently. These responsibilities need not be mutually exclusive.”
Elo-Rivera previously told inewsource that his proposal was unrelated to past instances of hostility and racist comments from virtual speakers, some of whom called in anonymously. Still, in his latest statement, he said a small group was “abusing” virtual comment and hindering the council’s work.
He will continue to pursue other proposed rule changes unrelated to public comment, including: preventing consent items from being presented to the council without being reviewed by a committee first unless otherwise specified by the council president; removing the requirement to have one legislative assistant who assists with managing the council docket process; and scheduling annual budget review meetings to take place after the mayor releases the proposed budget.
The Rules Committee is set to meet again next month.
Type of Content
News: Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
