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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCLD-011-20Clarington Staff Report If this information is required in an alternate accessible format, please contact the Accessibility Coordinator at 905-623-3379 ext. 2131. Report To: General Government Committee Date of Meeting: June 22, 2020 Submitted By: Anne Greentree, Municipal Clerk Reviewed By: Andrew C. Allison, CAO File Number: Report Number: CLD-011-20 By-law Number: Resolution#:* Report Subject: Electronic Participation at Meetings During Routine Periods Recommendations: 1. That Report CLD-011-20 be received; 2. That the Procedural By-law be amended to provide for electronic participation at any meeting, including statutory Public Meetings under the Planning Act, for, a. Members of Council, in accordance the provisions set out in the Municipal Act, 2001, b. Delegations and presentations, and c. Members of the public 3. That Council authorize remote participation for local board meetings, and that any local board resolving to take advantage of the opportunity to participate electronically be directed to amend their procedural by-law accordingly; 4. That the Terms of Reference for all Council Advisory Committees be amended to allow for electronic participation up to, and including, all members and members of the public; 5. That once the LPAT has updated its procedural rules to provide for electronic hearings, Staff (i.e. Planning Services Department and Municipal Solicitor) be directed to undertake a review of the Committee of Adjustment By-law (83-83) to bring it up to date, including provisions for the holding of electronic hearings, and report back to Council with their findings and possible recommendations; 6. That the protocol for participating electronically shall be set out by the Municipal Clerk and may be amended from time to time; Municipality of Clarington Resort CLD-011-20 Page 2 7. That the By-law attached to Report CLD-011-20, as Attachment 1, amending the Procedural By-law to allow for electronic participation at Council and Committee meetings, be approved; and 8. That all interested parties listed in Report CLD-011-20, and any delegations be DGA1v RI LIU R❑EFLQM4�FLVIR_lu Municipality of Clarington Report CLD-011-20 Report Overview Page 3 In 2017, the Municipal Act, 2001 was changed to allow electronic participation (i.e. telephone or video participation) by Members of Council and local boards. Recent changes to the Municipal Act, 2001 have allowed further electronic participation, but only during an emergency. The current remote participation experience during the pandemic has demonstrated that there may be a benefit to allowing electronic participation during routine periods. This report provides information on the steps required to implement remote participation, outside of a declared emergency, should Council choose. 1. Background 1.1. In January, 2018, Report CLD-003-18 summarized the impact of the changes as a result of Bill 68, which received Royal Assent in 2017. Arising out of Report CLD-003-18, and through Resolution #GG-026-18, Council directed staff to report back on implementation requirements, process and any associated costs for electronic participation in Council, Committee and Local Board meetings. 1.2. As a result of Bill 68, Section 238 of the Municipal Act, 2001 now states that: (3.1) The applicable procedure by-law may provide that a member of council, of a local board or of a committee of either of them, can participate electronically in a meeting which is open to the public to the extent and in the manner set out in the by-law provided that any such member shall not be counted in determining whether or not a quorum of members is present at any point in time. (3.2) The applicable procedure by-law shall not provide that a member of council, of a local board or of a committee of either of them, can participate electronically in a meeting which is closed to the public. 1.3. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic emergency, Subsection 238(3.3) was added to allow Members participating electronically to count towards quorum and in closed session. 1.4. On March 23, Council passed By-law 2020-022 to amend the Procedural By-law to accommodate these emergency provisions. 1.5. Beginning on March 23, Committee and Council meetings have been taking advantage of the loosening of restrictions and at least the majority, if not all, of Council (and Staff and delegations) has been attending meetings remotely ever since. Municipality of Clarington Page 4 Report CLD-011-20 1.6. Staff are anticipating a time when the emergency declaration will be lifted and therefore the Municipal Act reverts to the [VA ECD G]Idules where electronic participants do not count towards quorum and cannot attend Closed Session. Council will need to decide if they wish to continue with the option of electronic participation, outside of the declared emergency and, if so, under what conditions if any beyond those set out in the Municipal Act, 2001. 2. Technology 2.1. The audio and visual equipment used in the Council Chambers (i.e. Crestron equipment) feeds directly to our electronic meeting management system (i.e. eSCRIBE) to livestream and archive the meeting video. 2.2. ) RHMAAANHWAREIFUP HHAN FtR 10 D-Frn, three members of Council were in the Council Chambers and four attended remotely via telephone. Subsequent meetings have been held in its entirety using Microsoft Teams. 2.3. All of the Microsoft Teams meetings have continued to be livestreamed and video archived through eSCRIBE but have run outside of the Crestron system because the microphones and projector have not been required. This approach will only work when all participants are on Microsoft Teams. Going forward however, should any one participant choose not to be on Microsoft Teams and want to use the Council Chambers including the microphones, this approach will not work. 2.4. Staff have been working with the Crestron representative to update the Crestron system to integrate Microsoft Teams into the control panel. This solution will enable Council to take advantage of the option of continuing to allow for electronic participation of Council members, delegations, presenters and staff while other Members are in the Council Chambers. 3. Discussion 3.1. During the COVID-19 pandemic Council and staff have evolved into conducting smooth and effective meetings which are open to the public. The question before Council, currently, is whether to continue with electronic participation, and if so under what conditions. 3.2. The Municipal Act, 2001 requires that the majority of members of Council must be present in the meeting, with the option for the remaining members to participate remotely. Municipality of Clarington Report CLD-011-20 Electronic Participation for Council Members Page 5 3.3. Prior to COVID-19, many municipalities elected to allow for electronic participation but only in limited circumstances, such as: o Where a member is travelling outside of the municipality, or o Where a member is ill and not fit to physically attend the Chambers 3.4. Other municipalities chose not to allow electronic participation for a variety of reasons including apprehension of the technology, perceived lack of accountability, accessibility to the public, and lack of funds available to invest in the required hardware and software. 3.5. As stated earlier, Clarington Council has mastered the concept of electronic meetings and therefore might feel that any additional restrictions, beyond those set out in the Municipal Act, 2001 are too narrow and may choose to not place any further restrictions. 3.6. The FR❑FHS\M 13FMR❑CP DNLJ EED/ DAMP ❑V❑RjU[EH+T;,I - PeP SOAK3=GMREJ ❑B D❑-LI large private corporations allow remote participation as part of their meetings, local J REHiii P HdVULSHEFHA-IC DVI P R-N❑❑D❑GV R❑ inEGMH HP D_1EHiDnHESF FUIR❑ER❑Ii❑ SDFM W1HIFS❑E([F❑WI-I❑7i DIWzVWW4 WDO1�lS+M-l- t I-M❑mW-IA/DP HEffP FM working together. Also, it is often a more effective way to govern when the entire team is in the same room. 3.7. 7 ❑HLHA/DmRVH:P DMLRI MHLSEEQFL\/LH❑SF RURJL I DFFR❑❑ DF-MA D❑GVDdVSDLH[iFFJFi❑ attending or viewing Council/Committee meetings that should be considered. While at the same time, there may be an expectation from residents and stakeholders that the option of electronic participation continues it has been so easy, so why would you not allow it going forward" ❑ 3.8. Based on the positive experience of electronic participation during COVID-19, Staff recommends that Council allow for electronic participation for Members of Council without any additional limitations beyond those set out in the Municipal Act. Electronic Participation for Delegations and Presentations and staff 3.9. Since Staff, delegations, presentations, and members of the public have successfully been able to attend meetings electronically, Staff are recommending that all of these attendees be afforded the opportunity to participate electronically. 3.10. Staff will endeavour to use electronic means to make sure that the remote Member can see the Council Lectern computer to be able to see presentation materials. Municipality of Clarington Report CLD-011-20 Logistics Page 6 3.11. Attachment 1 to this Report is the draft by-law to amend the Procedural By-law. The necessary amendments address such issues as: L Adding the definitions for -electronic participationLD O LS-HvH W L Ensuring the chair is present in the Chamber along with the Municipal Clerk to ensure the meeting flows smoothly Vacating the meeting Requirements around participating remotely, including notification to the Municipal Clerk that the member intends on participating electronically Prohibiting members participating electronically from participating in closed session L Allowing for the use of electronic devices for the purpose of electronic participation Eliminating the requirement for motions and notices of motion to be signed 3.12. ❑ AWEP HEWIARAMY5 HSRAW ❑dFISDOL ®IJWVMI HSDAR HEM ERced u re Regarding Electronic Participation at Council and Committee Meetings, details the practices to be followed. These procedures are primarily based on those used during COVID-19 with the necessary amendments. This will be an evolving document recognizing the changes in technology and requirements over time. Local Boards 3.13. The changes allow electronic participation for local boards as well as Council. 3.14. Staff recommends that Council authorize its local boards to allow for electronic participation in accordance with the provisions of the Municipal Act, 2001. Should a local board choose to take advantage of the option, the local board will be required to amend their procedural by-law to authorize the electronic participation and to detail any restrictions that the local board deems appropriate. Advisory Committees 3.15. Our advisory committees are distinctly different from those covered above, primarily in that their recommendations are made to Council for consideration. These committees generally carry out their mandate in a less formal manner with their minutes being Municipality of Clarington Report CLD-011-20 Page 7 presented to Council for consideration. While the open meeting requirements in the Act do not specifically apply to advisory committees of Clarington (i.e. Accessibility Advisory ❑ RP P L1Ala AMIE[IJ I F❑MFDCUCELMR= RP P L1A66 EH R-❑❑ ®E❑J \REV13 R�WRQ]_dL R❑FLD Appointed Advisory Committees, and committee specific Terms of Reference, do speak to: ❑ requiring the meetings be open to the public; ❑ meeting locations with the meetings generally being held at the Municipal Administrate Centre, although meetings may occasionally be held elsewhere in the Municipality of Clarington if deemed necessary or appropriate; ❑ decisions reached by the Committee shall be based on consensus, wherever possible. In the event that a consensus cannot be reached and there are divergent opinions on an issue, the Chair may call for a formal vote by a show of hands. 3.16. These elements have been intentionally included in the Clarington Protocol in an attempt to provide a framework for the conduct of meetings such that the principles of openness and transparency are ensured. 3.17. Thus far, during the COVID-19 pandemic emergency, many of our Advisory Committees have successfully enjoyed the convenience and ease of electronic meetings. Staff therefore recommends that the 7HPVRI -5 HH[N-1FH1R L®'1fJVUVDGAVR= Committees be amended to allow for full electronic participation up to, and including, all members. 3.18. Should Council decide not to allow electronic participation, Staff would recommend that advisory committees/boards be advised that their operating policies be amended to provide for emergency decisions to be made and ratified, after the fact, by the board (i.e. similar to the emergency purchase provisions or Council recess provisions that are LFOG-GL-[❑ O[LJ \RE V[3 ❑EFEDA❑J [3 RQ ❑FFFF7 [ 1V LZSHD\hLJ CSRQ=- [1 R- aR1FF GVU(DD[OE articulate what constitutes an emergency, who has the authority to take the necessary action, and how this emergency decision/action is reported to and ratified by the committee/board. Municipality of Clarington Report CLD-011-20 Committee of Adjustment Page 8 3.19. Electronic Participation for the Committee of Adjustment meetings has proven to work quite well during the COVID-19 period. The Committee members, as well as applicants, have confirmed that the process was appreciated. 3.20. The Planning Act neither expressly authorizes nor prohibits electronic participation in Committee of Adjustment Hearings. 3.21. ❑®1LJU_IV_❑RP P A�HiRI115GV\ ' H W-IL law 83-83 has been in effect since 1983 and does not contemplate electronic participation. 3.22. The LPAT is currently undergoing a review of its procedural rules with the objective of providing more direction for electronic hearings. 3.23. It is recommended that once the LPAT procedural rules have been updated, Staff undertake a review of the Committee of Adjustment By-law, and any best practices for conducting hearings via electronic participation, as well as the procedures used thus far during the COVID- FSHFRGJR=GEL-J\R78 Committee of Adjustment, and report back to Council with a recommended approach going forward. 4. Concurrence This report has been reviewed by the Manager of IT Services, the Acting Director of Planning Services, and the Municipal Solicitor, who concurs with the recommendations. 5. Conclusion It is respectfully recommended that, should Council wish to proceed with implementing electronic participation by Members of Council at Committee and Council meetings, staff are +FRP P H❑Q❑J ANDVWMCG{DIVUP HC(P H ®JLJ\RIIV31WHGL11DCU1Aaw (Attachment 1), reflecting the above changes, be approved. Staff Contact: June Gallagher, Deputy Clerk, 905-623-3379 ext. 2103 or jgallagher@clarington.net. Attachments: Attachment(s): Attachment 1 - By-law to amend the Procedural By-law to allow electronic participation Attachment 2 - 0 ❑ARSDCU®INVLL HSD�W HEM EFHGOEHC5 HJ DIGLJ � OF1R-LF-3 D_WLSD►fit❑1DW Council and Committee Meetings ❑ Routine Periods Municipality of Clarington Report CLD-011-20 Interested Parties: All Clarington Advisory Committees/Boards of Council: ❑ Accessibility Advisory Committee ❑ Active Transportation and Safe Roads Advisory Committee ❑ Agricultural Advisory Committee ❑ Diversity Committee ❑ Heritage Committee ❑ Samuel Wilmot Nature Area Management Advisory Committee ❑ Task Force on Affordable Housing ❑ Tourism Advisory Committee All Clarington Municipal Service Boards: ❑ Newcastle Arena Board ❑ Newcastle Village Hall Board ❑ Solina Hall Board ❑ Tyrone Hall Board Committee of Adjustment Property Standards Committee Bowmanville BIA Newcastle BIA Orono BIA Page 9 Attachment 1 to Report CLD-011-20 If this information is required in an alternate format, please contact the Accessibility Coordinator at 905-623-3379 ext. 2131. 1'F.'lll ►"■1�� \�1�1 [II ■ �11, lll'� 111 II)11■ By-law 2020-XXX Being a by-law to amend the Procedural By-law 2015-029. Whereas the Province of Ontario passed Bill 168, an Act to amend the Municipal Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, c. 25, to allow Members of Council and local boards to participate electronically in meetings; And whereas the Council of the Municipality of Clarington deems it necessary to allow electronic participation during routine periods; And whereas, in order to be able to implement these provisions, Council must amend Procedure By-law 2015-029; Now therefore be it enacted that By-law 2015-029FFM®m❑dW❑TFI-Irocedural By-law, be amended as follows: That the following new subsection: 2.5 Electronic Participation []During Routine Period 2.5.1 -Electronic Participation _P FD _WDML0 FP EH1P DLLparticipate the Council or Committee meeting, remoting by electronic means. The electronic means must enable the Member to hear and to be heard by the other meeting participants. Acceptable formats may include teleconference, videoconference or webinar, or other interactive communications. 2.5.2 -PresentTP HD❑I I-P EHEP DEDJOII EGIDP H &11+ 1DM-FL1[SHHE1ER❑F R❑EE+MF1�LFSD0\ff1Sd\ffiZ=m R❑ HL-Hjfl[i H-i❑FHL-MR[EH�I❑ESIHEHd1MR111:1 quorum, or in closed meetings, do not include Members who are attending electronically. 2.5.3 Any Member shall be permitted to participate in a meeting via electronic participation to a maximum of three members in any given meeting. 2.5.4 Opportunities to participate electronically shall be permitted on a first come first serve basis, as managed through the Municipal Clerk. 2.5.5 Notwithstanding Subsection 4.5, a Member who participates in a meeting through electronic means is deemed to be present at the meeting, and in accordance with the Municipal Act, 2001, as amended, they shall not be Page 1 of 2 Attachment 1 to Report CLD-011-20 counted in determining whether or not a quorum of members is present at any SLAW HEE 2.5.6 The Member shall have the same rights and responsibilities as if they were in physical attendance, including the right to vote, unless otherwise prohibited by law or in other subsections of this by-law. 2.5.7 The protocol for participating electronically during routine periods shall be set out by the Municipal Clerk and may be amended from time to time. 2.5.8 If a Member persists in any such disobedience after having been called to order by the Chair, the Chair shall forthwith order him to vacate the meeting or end the electronic participation. 2.5.9 Notwithstanding Subsection 4.7, Members attending the meeting through electronic participation, in accordance with the Municipal Act, 2001, as amended, shall not attend the closed session portion of the meeting. 2.5.10 Notwithstanding subsections 4.10.1 and 4.10.2, the use of portable electronic devices may be used by a Member as an interface for a Member to participate electronically in the meeting. 2. That the following words be deleted from subsection 7.13.1: -and signed by the mover and seconder_ And replaced with IIC�' 1�1b 1� IIID■dll '■! 11 3. That the following words be deleted from subsection 10.12.1: -and signed by the mover and the seconder. C 4. That the following words be deleted from subsection 10.12.11: -and signed by the mover and seconder. 5. That this by-law shall take effect on the date of passing. Passed in Open Council this day of 2020. Adrian Foster, Mayor C. Anne Greentree, Municipal Clerk Page 2 of 2 Attachment 2 to Report CLD-011-20 ciff;WOOR F- OiFNVF Departmental Procedure Approved by: Procedure Number: C00-006 Approval Date: Title: Electronic Meetings -]Council and Standing Committees ❑ During Revision Date: Routine periods Purpose To set out the guidelines and procedure to be followed to conduct meetings for Council and Standing Committee during routine periods where a member of Council or staff or the public (i.e. delegate / presenter) are participating electronically. The authority for conducting electronic meetings can be found in the Municipal Act and 1101"WEM Procedural BV-law. Definitions Electronic Participation ❑ means participation by telephone or other electronic means (audio or audio/video). Procedure 1. Prior to the Meeting Request to Participate Electronically 1.1 Members of Council wishing to participate electronically shall notify the Municipal Clerk as soon as possible prior to the meeting and no later than noon on the Friday preceding the meeting, to advise they are intending on participating electronically. Note, consideration will be given to late requests due to extenuating circumstances. 1.2 The Municipal Clerk will confirm with the Member as to whether or not their request is able to be approved. This approval is granted solely on the basis of the legislative requirement for quorum to be physically present in the Chambers. 1.3 Members of the public may attend meetings in the Chambers or may choose to watch the livestream via the internet. 1.4 Delegates or Presenters wishing to participate electronically will be offered the option at the time they register as a delegation or presenter. See Section 4 for details on logistics for public participation. Page 1 of 6 LaFNIV Title: C00-006 Electronic Meetings C Departmental Procedure During Routine Periods 1.5 Delegations (or public meeting participants) may FRAWW I -I O X LIRSDO1101NIE Department prior to 4:15 PM on the day prior to the meeting. The Municipal Clerk will make arrangements to provide teleconference information to the delegation to allow them to participate during the meeting. 1.6 Delegates or presenters will be sent a Microsoft Teams invitation to join the electronic meeting by clicking the Join Meeting Now link, or dialing the telephone number listed in the invitation. General 1.7 The electronic agenda will be posted on the website as per the standard protocol. Livestreaming will continue and archived videos of meetings will continue to be available on the website. Note, livestreaming has a delay of approximately 45 seconds. 1.8 The Municipal Clerk, or designate, will forward an electronic invitation to Members of Council several days prior to the meeting. Note, the additional invitees will be added through Outlook calendar and not within the meeting in teams. This way, the invite is only sent to those invitees who had not previously received a meeting invite. 1.9 Prior to the meeting, the Municipal Clerk shall ensure that any members who are participating electronically will receive an electronic version of any presentations or slide shows such that they may follow along during said presentation 1.10 IT Staff shall be available as per the agreed upon support for Council and Standing Committee meetings. 2. Logistics for Council Members 2.1 The Member participating in a meeting by electronic means shall mute their audio and video when they are not speaking. They may also be asked to mute their video (where applicable), at some point during the meeting, in order to improve bandwidth. 2.2 7 EH10 FP EHFFM LEHERN11111101-1P L❑MFFDFFFSEid-I P F D❑Frm 2.3 To provide for a smoothly run meeting, the Chair shall be present in the Chambers. Page 2 of 6 ❑aFNIV Title: C00-006 Electronic Meetings ❑ Departmental Procedure During Routine Periods 3. Logistics ❑ Staff 3.1 It should be noted that, while there is no requirement under the Procedural By- law to require staff to attend, it is the standing practice that Department Heads, or their delegates, attend. Therefore, staff may participate electronically, subject to the direction of the CAO. 4. Logistics - Delegations and Presentations 4.1 The Chair shall call upon the delegate or presenter as the item appears in the agenda. 4.2 The meeting host shall then monitor the Participant List in the electronic meeting system. The Participant List will either indicate the telephone number or the SHELRGLE—DP HF1 4.3 The Chair shall then recognize the person and grant them the floor. The Chair shall remind the speaker that they have 10 minutes to address the Committee. Questions to the delegate 4.4 The Chair will canvass the Members of their desire to ask any questions of the delegate. 4.5 The Chair will ask his/her questions and then thank the delegate. Leaving the Meeting 4.6 At the conclusion of the delegation, the Chair shall advise the delegate or presenter that they will be removed from the Microsoft Teams meeting and that they can watch the remainder of the meeting via livestreaming through the municipal website. 4.7 In the case of a loss of connection, or any connection issue which impedes the ability of a Member or delegate to participate in the meeting in real time, a short recess shall be called to provide the Member an opportunity to reconnect. Page 3 of 6 LO]FII/ Title: C00-006 Electronic Meetings C Departmental Procedure During Routine Periods 5. During the Meeting - Opening Remarks 5.1 After the meeting has been called to order, the Chair will make the following remarks to all those that are participating: L Remind those Members on the phone to have their phones or devices muted unless they are wishing to speak. F Explain that the meeting is taking place through Microsoft Teams and that some people may be participating through video while others may be participating with audio only. ❑ Livestreaming is available at www.clarington.net/calendar 5.2 7 EHIO XAFLSDC)-- ®II M- REHL-IL[J LDN-F LO IREVAW- P H-KUJ [D[U DQYDEHMI❑ ability to mute Members of Council, staff and any other participants who do not have the floor and/or where the background noise is interfering with the meeting. Members and attendees may also be asked to mute their video (where applicable), at some point during the meeting, in order to improve bandwidth. Moving a motion 5.3 As per the Procedural By-law, motions shall be provided in writing but shall not be required to be signed. 5.4 A member who is participating electronically, who wishes to move or second a motion, will simply raise their hand, indicate electronically within the chat feature of Microsoft Teams, or speak up, as the technology allows and the Chair will ask for them to confirm ❑❑FAWEID-HA RE+iEDP S®IM DIR=D❑41A)EH-DP R7-l' 7 ❑ RX❑FLCF- I_ I_-, SIB R--IV'A7 7 Speaking to a Matter 5.5 The Chair will canvass the Members participating in a meeting by electronic means about their intention to speak to a matter on the floor and will notify the Member when it is their turn to speak. Page 4of6 LaFNIV Title: C00-006 Electronic Meetings C Departmental Procedure During Routine Periods 5.6 Members who are in attendance will have an option to speak. They shall identify verbally or electronically within the chat feature of Microsoft Teams that they wish W—LSF DN_IJR❑H❑DP SO RX❑ROR-❑ ❑❑ , EDEHD7M ZZI❑ Befo re ca l l i ng th e vote, the Chair will cycle back and ask again if anyone has any comments they ❑ L❑ ARP DNH[DELXP U VH=DEH❑ W SRNH❑EHff❑ 5.7 The standard rules will apply for speaking a second time to a matter. Voting on a Matter 5.8 After putting a motion to a vote, the Member participating in a meeting by electronic means shall identify verbally how they wish to vote. Where there is more than one member participating by electronic means, they shall state their name before their vote. E.J ❑ MRXEFIORII-T -HFU 5.9 When a vote is called, the Chair will call the vote as if it were a recorded vote but will not be recorded as such, unless a recorded vote is actually requested. Note, where the motion is simply procedural (eg. Recess, adjourn, adopt the agenda, etc. El-IEIII mL- EDM1P SO-FDO-FI F-HILL]tiDJ�.XEE[D❑I THEU ®❑❑[GAPoI❑dRA-I❑ +i❑SR❑d-IE[[[7 ❑H❑R)DOG P,-HRSSRJ-i❑EDEEER[ID❑❑ listen for the responses. Calling a recorded vote 5.10 Standard process ❑ and in order of standard assigned seating within the Council Chambers, ending with the Chair. Closed session 5.11 For any portion of the meeting that is closed, Council Members participating electronically are prohibited from attending and participating in the closed session as per the legislation. Page 5 of 6 LaFNIV Title: C00-006 Electronic Meetings C Departmental Procedure During Routine Periods Leaving the Meeting 5.12 A Member participating in a meeting by electronic means shall inform the Chair about their intentions to leave the meeting either on a temporary or permanent basis. 5.13 A Member participating in a meeting by electronic means shall be deemed to have left the meeting when they are no longer electronically connected to the meeting and are unable to reconnect. However, in the case of a loss of connection, or any connection issue which impedes the ability of a Member to participate in the meeting in real time, a short recess shall be called to provide the Member an opportunity to reconnect. Page 6 of 6