[HISTORY: Adopted by the Council of the Borough of Lansdale as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 6-18-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-1853]
The purpose and intent of this article is to allow for the participation of Council members in meetings of Council from remote locations by means of telecommunication devices, such as telephones or computers which permit, at a minimum, audio communication between locations so that Council may establish a quorum and participate in meetings if a member cannot physically be present for one or more reasons set forth herein.
Council may provide for the participation of other Council members by means of telecommunication devices provided that:
A. 
A majority of the membership of Council is physically present at the advertised meeting place within the Borough and a quorum is established at the convening or reconvening of the meeting. If after the convening or reconvening of a meeting, a member has been disqualified from voting as a matter of law, but is still physically present, Council members participating by telecommunication device in accordance with this article shall be counted to maintain a quorum.
B. 
The telecommunication device used permits the member or members of Council not physically present at the meeting to:
(1) 
Speak to and hear the comments, votes, if any, of the members of Council who are physically present as well as other members of Council who may not be physically present and who are also using a telecommunication device to participate in the meeting; and
(2) 
Speak to and hear the comments of the public who are physically present at the meeting.
C. 
The telecommunications device used permits the members of Council and the members of the public who are physically present at the meeting to speak to and hear the comments and the vote, if any, of the members of Council who are not physically present at the meeting.
D. 
Council may only authorize participation by telecommunication device for one or more of the following reasons:
(1) 
Illness or disability of the member of Council;
(2) 
Care for the ill or newborn in the member's immediate family;
(3) 
Emergency;
(4) 
Family or business travel.
E. 
Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the protections and prohibitions contained in any law or regulation relating to the rights of the disabled.
In the event that any section, sentence, clause, or word of this article shall be declared illegal, invalid or unconstitutional by any court of competent jurisdiction, such declaration shall not prevent, preclude or otherwise foreclose the validity of the remaining portions of this article.