Скачать или смотреть Grand Junction delays vote on remote council participation

The Grand Junction City Council recently shelved a resolution that would have excused absences and authorized remote participation for Councilman Robert Ballard during his upcoming National Guard deployment. Ballard is scheduled to deploy to Egypt for one year beginning April 2.

The proposal was intended to provide local protections for council members called to military service, a topic partially covered by Colorado state law under House Bill 23-1045. As a Home Rule city, Grand Junction has the authority to address these situations differently, but the discussion during the council's bi-weekly meeting moved from a standard agenda item into a debate over representation and administrative process.

Council member Ballard described the resolution as a standard administrative step for service members.

"I just want to reiterate, just so it's clear that this resolution is a non-controversial resolution, is very similar to that leave of absence form that a guardsman would have to submit to their HR department," Ballard said.

While he expressed a desire to attend all meetings and workshops, he acknowledged the difficulty of participating from a location 9 hours ahead of local time.

Mayor Cody Kennedy expressed support for Ballard's commitment to both the city and the country.

"The fact that he can and wants to ... is very encouraging," Kennedy said. "I think that's great. I think that speaks to his character and I'm very proud of the work that he's doing, not only here locally, but in the way he's serving our country."

Other council members questioned whether the formal resolution was required. Councilor Anna Stout stated she would not support the measure because she viewed it as redundant.

"I want to make it crystal clear that this is not a political conversation when I talk process," Stout said. "So, when I'm talking, I won't support the resolution because I don't believe it's necessary."

Council member Scott Beilfuss raised concerns about how Ballard's district would be served during a year-long absence. Beilfuss suggested that a transparent process could allow a vetted individual from the district to fill the role temporarily.

"We also have a responsibility to our voters and Robert's district to be fairly represented," Beilfuss said.

Beilfuss noted that while technology allows for remote work, long-term remote participation presents challenges for local government communication.

The full story can be found on WesternSlopeNow.com