The city’s first attempt Monday at holding a virtual public meeting of the city council was plagued by technical issues that made video spotty and audio sometimes impossible to hear. Moreover, it may have violated the state’s Open Meetings Act.
Under Gov. Greg Abbot’s emergency declaration, meetings of more than 10 are prohibited. A temporary amendment to the Open Meetings Act allows municipal governments to hold meetings, as long as they provide an alternative means for public viewing.
A single Herald-Press journalist, however – a classified “essential worker” – was also barred from attending, even though only five of seven city council members were present; well under the 10-person limit. (Read more…)