Hillsborough Discontinues Virtual Meeting Participation

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — When the coronavirus pandemic hit, the Hillsborough Township Committee began offering community members the opportunity to participate in meetings virtually. Now that restrictions are lifting, the township committee is discontinuing this option and not everyone is happy about it.

The township committee voted at the May 25 meeting to remove the virtual participation option at meetings beginning on June 1. Participation will only be allowed in-person at the Municipal Complex and a Zoom option will no longer be offered.

Edward "Lefty" Grimes, who spoke at the meeting, advocates for cannabis patients and people in wheelchairs through nonprofit Sativa Cross.

Grimes said people with disabilities had been asking for the virtual participation option for years and now it is being taken away and forcing those community members to "hide under a rock again".

"Finally homebound people can go to school, homebound people in wheelchairs can go to church, homebound people can go to council meetings and now it's all being taken away," said Grimes.

"This is not fair to the sick and the dying who want to take part in life. And I think that if you allow for people who have vision issues or hearing issues if they give 24-hour notice you can take care of their disability. I would ask the same for homebound and wheelchair people that if they want to attend council meetings they can ask the clerk to give them access," said Grimes.

Three other residents also concurred with Grimes encouraging the committee to reconsider removing this option. The resolution ended up being unanimously passed by the committee.

Committeeman Doug Tomson noted that the New Jersey Legislature has returned to in-person meetings and is not allowing Zoom participation.

Since the vote to discontinue virtual participation, Our Revolution Hillsborough, a grassroots political action organization, launched a petition urging the committee to reverse their decision.

"Instead of moving with the digital times, the committee decided to allow write-in remarks that will be read aloud. While the words will be heard, the voice and the emotion will not. We are asking all Hillsborough residents to sign this petition urging the committee to continue with the Zoom meetings indefinitely so all township members have an option to participate in our local government," according to the petition.

To learn more or to sign the petition click here.

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