'You'd have to ask him': Councillors shrug at colleague's remote participation in public hearing (2024)

Calgary city councillors say they don’t know why one of their colleagues is tuning in to the blanket rezoning hearing remotely, but that he appears to be adhering to council’s new virtual attendance policy.

Three days into the marathon public hearing that has seen more than 800 Calgarians sign up to share their thoughts on a contentious citywide rezoning proposal, Ward 4 Coun. Sean Chu is the only member attending the meeting via live feed.

Article content

Article content

Chu, who usually attends council meetings in person, has not responded to media inquiries asking where he is participating from. On Monday, Mayor Jyoti Gondek said, ‘You’d have to ask him,’ when asked if she knew where Chu was or why he is participating remotely.

Three other councillors took questions during Wednesday’s noon scrum about their colleague’s absence. All three said Chu hadn’t disclosed why he is not attending the public hearing in person.

“To be completely fair, Coun. Chu has been taking part,” said Ward 1 Coun. Sonya Sharp, noting his camera has been turned on the whole time.

“Every member of council has things going on in their private life. Myself, I’m a mom and I’ve got things I’m going to have to step away for. This takes a lot out of us, too. We’re all human.”

New rules intended to limit remote participation in meetings

In March, council approved changes to their procedure and code of conduct bylaws that limit their ability to attend meetings remotely — a provision that has been allowed since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Article content

Article content

Under the amended bylaw, a councillor is required to disclose their reasons for participating in a meeting virtually to integrity commissioner Ellen-Anne O’Donnell. The new rules stipulate remote participation should only occur “in exceptional circ*mstances,” when attending in-person is impossible or impractical.

Councillors are only to participate virtually “on occasion,” according to the bylaw, and in an appropriate and secure location that is free of distractions, with their camera turned on and no background used. Chu appears to be following the new rules to a T; when addressing presenters, his webcam shows him in a dim room with nothing in the background apart from closed blinds and a ceiling fan.

“Honestly, I’m not a fan of non-personal participation, but if you’re at the very least 100 per cent attentive, you’re visually there and participating in the discussion, far be it from me to stand in the way of progress by virtue of improved IT,” said Ward 10 Coun. Andre Chabot.

‘It’s not something they have to disclose to the rest of us’

When the bylaw amendments were first discussed in February, Ward 3 representative Jasmine Mian motioned to add a provision allowing councillors to participate in meetings remotely, provided their personal circ*mstance falls under the protected grounds of the Alberta Human Rights Act.

Article content

Mian had a baby last summer, and up until the new attendance policy was approved she frequently attended council meetings virtually.

“I certainly think it’s important to come in person whenever you can, but people have unique family circ*mstances that are going to take them to places where they need to be virtual,” she said.

“I have no idea why someone is virtual when they’re virtual. It’s not something they have to disclose to the rest of us.”

O’Donnell did not respond to Postmedia’s request for comment on Wednesday, but Dr. Emily Laidlaw, who is council’s ethics adviser, said she could not legally answer if Chu had disclosed his rationale for working virtually.

“Each member of council is my client and any communications I might have with them are protected by solicitor-client privilege,” she said.

sstraser@postmedia.com

Article content