Virtual public meetings are the norm. So why hasn’t Sacramento figured them out?
Local government is known for having technology issues. But when those bugs and errors begin affecting the people’s ability to participate, it ceases to be a punchline and becomes a violation of rights.
With lingering COVID protocols pushing public comment into the online sphere, Sacramento area officials have a responsibility to ensure their commenting systems are simple to use and free of glitches.
In March 2020, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order allowing public meetings to be held through teleconferencing technologies in light of the pandemic. It also requires government meetings to be “accessible telephonically or otherwise electronically to all members of the public.
Since then, users across the state have complained that the online systems are prone to error. In Sacramento, users say the city’s system often kicks them out of the queue even when they use it properly. With speakers’ time already limited to two minutes, the city’s ineptitude feels disrespectful at best and nefarious at worst.
Nearly two years into the pandemic, with the global hub of technology at our doorstep, why are California’s local governments still struggling with this? It’s time to figure out why, because blaming it on technical issues or user error is not a valid excuse.
If hybrid meetings and online commenting are the future of public participation, then local governments need to make it as easy as walking up to the podium once was. Anything else is a dereliction of democracy.
This story was originally published November 18, 2021 at 1:51 PM.
