A long-debated issue regarding public access and transparency was discussed during Erie County Council’s meeting on Tuesday night.
Council members held the first reading of a proposal that would allow members of the public to have their cell phones unlocked while attending Erie County Council meetings at the Erie County Courthouse.
Currently, anyone entering the courthouse is required to have their phone locked in a secure pouch to prevent video recording inside the building. However, the policy conflicts with Pennsylvania’s Sunshine Act, which permits the public to record open government meetings.
Erie County Executive Christina Vogel said she’s in favor of the change.
“If you think about the city, their room is right off the entrance, so you don’t go anywhere else,” Vogel said. “When you come to the county, you actually have access to the entire building, so that is the concern. Right now, the proposal is that they would lock your phone, you would come to the Erie County Council chamber, they would unlock it, and they would lock it back at the end, which I’m completely for.”…