Waipā district councillors have gone back to Zoom meetings – which has advantages and disadvantages for viewers.
The council has been broadcasting meetings online since the first Covid lockdown in 2020 – but the view provided in the chamber by camera isn’t wide enough to show all councillors, and unless viewers recognise voices, it can be difficult to work out who is talking.
Tuesday’s meeting in the Zoom format, with councillors logging in from home had each one clearly identified.
Zoom meetings will continue under Level 3.Mayor Jim Mylchreest said Zoom meetings were not the ideal choice, but they enabled full meetings to go ahead during the Level 4 lockdown.
The online format caused a bit of confusion at some points, with occasional hand waving as councillors sought to get attention, but overall, it was a smooth return to Zoom.
Grahame Webber suffered some audio technical issues and eventually dropped out while Philip Coles’ positioning gave him the appearance of wearing a halo.
Councillors will next meet for a full meeting on September 28.
