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Richmond city council has held meetings via video-conference for the last month as a result of physical distancing restrictions due to COVID-19.

Photo by Jaana Björk

Richmond councillors adapting to video-conference meetings

By Hannah Scott, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

Published 4:49 PDT, Mon May 11, 2020

Last Updated: 2:13 PDT, Wed May 12, 2021

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During the COVID-19 pandemic, Richmond city council has been largely meeting via video-conference. Only Mayor Malcolm Brodie and Coun. Chak Au have been physically present for the last several council meetings, with the remaining councillors attending virtually.

This change has been a big adjustment, and hasn’t been without technical glitches. But overall, councillors say, it’s working for the time being.

“I think that we’re still able to get through the business fairly efficiently,” says Brodie.

He notes that meetings are still live streamed via the city’s website, allowing members of the public to view them as they happen.

Live-streaming technology was championed by Coun. Harold Steves in the 1970s, when he requested that the BC legislature use TV to make meetings accessible to the public, who could then respond.

“I was told that was pretty far out, but now it’s not far out any longer,” says Steves. “Things that a lot of us have thought about for a long time, we were told we couldn’t do this, and now we have to do it.”

Steves is also an advocate for streaming major conferences to avoid unnecessary travel, even when restrictions are lifted.

“The communications are there, but the politicians aren’t using them,” he says.

While most current agenda items are related to COVID-19, this doesn’t mean other issues are being put on the back burner.

“It’s not so much a matter of putting things on the back burner as it is focusing on the issues that are urgent and important, and those are the pandemic related ones, whether it’s finances or facilities or budget,” says Brodie.

“It’s important that some of the urgent issues get dealt with in a timely fashion,” agrees Coun. Linda McPhail. “What needs to get through is coming to an agenda. Some of the things that maybe would have come to committee for information, we’re just getting them as reports—and that’s fine.”

Coun. Bill McNulty says that agendas have been streamlined—a beneficial result of the video-conference meetings.

“It does allow for full discussion, you’ve just got to be patient,” he says. “There are no issues that we avoided or didn’t put on the agenda.”

Coun. Carol Day says council has seen a reduced volume of work. She attributes this to people following directions to remain at home and avoid non-essential travel and errands.

“I think that people in life have put their (tasks) on the back burner,” she says.

Steves says working virtually has allowed him more time to focus on other city-related issues of interest.

“I’ve got more time now because I’m not spending so much time going to meetings,” he says. “There’s time to get more of the things done that I’d like to see done, rather than what’s presented to us at council meetings.”

When current restrictions are relaxed, some councillors look forward to a return to physical meetings.

“It’s harder to have productive discussions when we’re unable to see each other,” says McNulty. “We let everybody have their say and make their points, but sometimes you limit the debate back and forth because you just want to get on with it.”

When physical distancing restrictions were first announced, councillors adapted, adhering to requirements and sitting six feet apart. McNulty says they could return to this model, and also limit public access.

“I’m guessing there will be a period of phase-in where we will get back to the councillors and the mayor attending all the meetings using social distancing, certainly initially,” says Brodie.

“From my perspective, six feet apart is not that much of a challenge,” says Day.

She adds council members are already able to sit nearly six feet apart in their usual seats in chambers or the Anderson room.

McPhail notes that the ability to attend meetings via video-conference presents an alternative for those who are feeling unwell.

“Going forward, there will be opportunities for councillors or staff who are not feeling 100 per cent to give input. People who are immunocompromised would still be able to participate in a way that’s safe for their health,” she says.

Steves is an advocate for attending via video-conference, even after restrictions are lifted. He notes that many community members who are over 60, and at a higher risk of increased complications from COVID-19, would benefit from the opportunity to attend digitally.

“On the whole I think that it’s worked very well,” says McPhail.