The city of Battle Ground is changing its meeting procedures for city council meetings after the Dec. 4 meeting livestream feed was interrupted by a pornography broadcast that featured a voiceover using racial slurs.
The new procedures will provide convenience and accessibility for the public while also preserving the process and integrity of the city’s virtual meeting proceedings, Communications Manager Alisha Smith said in a press release Wednesday.
The revised procedures will impact individuals attending meetings virtually, not those attending in person. Although the council meetings are broadcast live on the city’s YouTube channel, Smith said the city uses the Zoom platform to conduct and record the meetings virtually. Zoom, which has known security flaws, has also been working to address attendees’ ability to “Zoom bomb” meetings and improve security features.
Effective immediately, members of the public who wish to provide public testimony or comment using the virtual meeting option will need to submit a request to the city clerk’s office at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled meeting.
