Only on request: cautious yes to hybrid sessions

Hybrid meetings should soon be possible in Fürstenfeldbruck.

The main committee voted for this variant - if members request it in advance.

That has to be approved by the city council - at least with a two-thirds majority.

Fürstenfeldbruck -

Due to the corona pandemic, the municipal regulations were changed - the city of Fürstenfeldbruck had also campaigned for this.

So-called hybrid meetings - this means that city councils can join in from home - are temporarily allowed until the end of 2022.

After a pandemic committee had already been installed, a downsized city council that should come together from an incidence of over 200, Alexa Zierl (ÖDP) had now applied for the possibility of hybrid meetings.

There is still a risk that city council members will miss meetings due to illness or quarantine, she said.

“By switching on, we would have solved both cases.” And apart from the pandemic, this enables more flexibility, for example in childcare.

Basically there is agreement

Basically, there was approval in the main committee.

But mostly there were legal concerns.

Because the city must provide the technical requirements for the circuit.

But what happens if the connection suddenly breaks?

Is the vote then possibly invalid or open to attack?

These questions are not entirely clear.

For this reason, the CSU wanted to limit the hybrid meetings to special situations such as a disaster - i.e. snow, floods, pandemics or the like.

"I don't like the idea of ​​someone joining in from vacation and only listening with one ear," said parliamentary group leader Andreas Lohde.

Markus Droth (Free Voters), on the other hand, did not want any restrictions.

If you get the opportunity for a limited period of time, you should take advantage of it.

He requested that the hybrid meetings be allowed without restriction for all city council meetings.

It is not possible to precisely quantify what that will cost.

Roland Klehr, Head of General Administration, reckons with 2000 euros per session.

Droth's application was rejected 8: 6.

Variant from the district day

Jan Halbauer (Greens) brought a variant into play that the district day is also planning: the hybrid meeting must be requested by city councils up to three working days before the date.

Because a permanent supply, which is then not used, only burns money.

A variant that Dieter Kreis (ÖDP) also found charming.

The technical problems are the risk of the city council.

In any case, most believed that the connection option was used to a limited extent.

“An analog discussion is still something different from a virtual one,” said Lohde.

It also works in other bodies, added Philipp Heimerl (SPD).

"It just takes some practice time."

The main committee voted 8: 6 for the hybrid meetings with mandatory motions.

They want to start a test run this year.

But nothing has been decided yet.

Because the city council has the last word.

And a similarly tight vote is then not possible.

Because in the municipal regulations it is also stated that a two-thirds majority is necessary for the change of the rules of procedure - i.e. the inclusion of hybrid meetings.

comment

Hybrid sessions yes or no?

This is really not an easy decision.

Because who does not know it from the video conferences that have been so popular since Corona: Suddenly the sound is gone, the microphone is too quiet and you only understand half of it.

The worry of misunderstanding something here, raising your hand incorrectly on the screen or suddenly sitting in front of a black screen when voting is understandable.

But there are always these technical imponderables.

Ultimately, it will depend on what you make of it.

You can repeat a vote when the Council can be seen again - unless there was a clear result anyway.

Or repeat the sentence.

Goodwill is the key word here.

It would be a great deal for someone to deliberately misuse the hybrid model in order to invalidate decisions. And hardly imaginable even in the Bruck city council. Politicians should have confidence in this. And maybe try it out first. Nothing ventured nothing gained. (Ingrid Zeilinger)