The City of Healdsburg joined other local jurisdictions this week in excluding public comment through Zoom, the online meeting platform, in an effort to avoid the airing of racist and profane comments that have plagued government meetings in recent weeks.
“This change is due to recent disruptive and hate-filled comments happening to cities across the region. These attacks have subjected communities to profane content and threaten the City Council’s ability to conduct business,” read a Sept. 28 post on the city’s Facebook page.
The first meeting that followed was the City Council meeting on Monday, Oct. 2. During his regular report at that meeting, City Manager Jeff Kay repeated the rationale for limiting public comment. “We are taking public comment, of course, in person tonight, as we always do, but will not be taking public comment by Zoom,” he said. “That’s a change that I think some people who have been following agency meetings around the region … have seen happening at a number of different agencies in response to ‘Zoom bombing’ of hate speech.”
Kay emphasized that in-person public comment was welcome, and that the city would “continue to receive public comment by email if people wish to do that before or after” the meetings.
Among the other local jurisdictions that have limited or prohibited online comment are the County Board of Supervisors and Santa Rosa, which also announced on Sept. 28 that it would not permit online comment.
Samantha Zutler, who serves as the City of Healdsburg’s city attorney, has also been fulfilling that role on a contract basis for the City of Santa Rosa between the retirement of Sue Gallagher, on July 28, and the hiring of Teresa Stricker, who will start on Nov. 6.
The prohibition on Zoom comments applied to both the general Public Comment section near the beginning of most meetings, where comment on non-agenda items is welcome, and on the public comment period attending specific agenda items.
The meeting was still available on the Zoom platform, as well as on the city’s Facebook page video channel and through the city’s website. But the nearly-full council chambers on Monday evening indicated that the change in policy had been recognized by the public. Kay noted that there was “a good turnout tonight, and I trust we will continue to have good engagement and good comment from the community.”
Earlier this year, several Healdsburg public meetings were sidetracked by extensive grievance comments delivered over Zoom directed at Mayor Ariel Kelley from two individuals who are not local residents. Kelley did not respond to those comments at the time, and the individuals have not been heard from for the past few weeks.
To counter concerns about possible violation of First Amendment rights of free speech, Kay said, “It is part of the role for City Council for staff to hear criticism in these meetings and 100% appropriate on every item… At times we also see public comment that is what some people might consider profane, and we’ve always erred on the side of allowing that to take place.”
Comments received via the Zoom “raise hands” feature allow an online attendee to use the platform for public speech. The practice became popular—if not necessary—during the COVID pandemic, which prevented in-person meetings. The practice was continued even after the council and other city commissions and committees could again meet in person, as the ability to follow public meetings without physically attending proved popular.
“It’s my personal hope that what we’re seeing is a blip and not a new normal,” said Kay, regarding the decision. “But at this point we did feel it made sense to [prohibit online comment] to make sure that the City Council could continue to conduct business.”
The prohibition against online comment will continue for the foreseeable future, but Kay did express hope that at some point it could again be permitted. “Obviously, ultimately this is a decision for the council, and the council may wish to take on either sooner or later a conversation about rules or protocols for how meetings will go going forward,” he said.
The good news, said Kay, is that Healdsburg “got by for about 163 years of in-person public comment before the pandemic, so we know we can do it.”
The next Healdsburg City Council meeting will be Monday, Oct. 16, starting at 6pm. Attend at Council Chambers, 401 Grove St., or view online at facebook.com/watch/cityofhealdsburg.
Great! Zoom was a response to the government lockdowns. So were the parklets. Zoom is gone. Will the parklets ever be gone?
Oh, that’s right. The City Council gets money from the parklets but not the Zoom calls.
Please video and post the meetings and in-person comments. That should a) be a public service so citzens can see what is being discussed and b) help deter whacko crazy hate speech in person.