The School Committee recently voted in favor of it, but because the Town Council and town manager are against it, it cannot adopt it.
PALMER — The majority of town councilors are against allowing remote participation, with one town councilor saying it would open up too much potential for abuse.
Through remote participation, elected officials could call in, or use videoconferencing, to take part in meetings they cannot physically attend.
Given the 5-1-1 vote against it, Town Manager Charles T. Blanchard said that was a "pretty good indicator" of how to proceed. Blanchard said he would double-check to make sure he has the final say on whether to allow the practice, which he said is not supposed to be used regularly, and only in special circumstances.
Voting against it were Councilor President Philip J. Hebert, and Councilors Paul E. Burns, Mary A. Salzmann, Donald Blais Jr. and Matthew J. Lovell. Barbara A. Barry abstained and Jason Polonsky was the lone supporter.
Polonsky felt it would provide a way for councilors or other elected officials to participate if they were called out of town on work, or for a family emergency. Polonsky said he saw no reason why it should not be adopted.
But Burns said it has already been used inappropriately by one board in town, the Palmer Redevelopment Authority, and said it provides too much potential for abuse, something the Planning Board also indicated in a letter to Blanchard about the practice.
"We ran for these offices, we have an obligation to be here," Burns said. "I feel we should not adopt remote participation."
Hebert agreed, saying that he also has concerns it would be abused, and added that it would present "some more technology that can fail during the meeting."
Polonsky said the town could miss out on "some potential wonderful volunteers" by not allowing it, and said he talked to a few people who said they would have continued to serve on committees if this had been in place.
The School Committee recently voted in favor of it, but because the Town Council and town manager are against it, it cannot adopt it.