Should texting be prohibited during Sioux Falls City Council meetings?

I will be the first to admit that I am guilty of texting councilors during meetings. Most of them don’t respond until after the meeting, and they really shouldn’t be. But I have noticed lately that ever since PTH took the helm, it is texting central, the main offenders I have seen are Mayor TenHaken and councilors Neitzert and Erickson. Not sure if the others are engaging in the texting.

Maybe it is time the SF City Council implement a ban on texting during the meetings like they do in Rapid City (see ordinance below). They are really there to do the public’s business, so they should be listening to the public instead of fiddling with background information from other people watching. It reminds me of when I was in school and the teacher would catch you passing notes, and they would say “Would you like to share?”

It also brings up an interesting legal question since the councilors get a taxpayer stipend for their cell phones, shouldn’t these texts during the meeting be public information and shared with the public?

Our elected leaders should be prepared before coming to the meetings. They are also supplied with laptops to search any pertinent information they may need from the internet or internal city files, they also should be listening to testimony from the public, city employees and business people not getting outside information while setting policy.

Maybe it is time for a policy.

2.04.120  Electronic communication mediums prohibited.

   A.   For purposes of this section, “Electronic Communication Medium” shall mean any technology that allows text, audio, static images, or video to be exchanged between two or more people in real time or near real time creating or inviting an interactive exchange of information.  Examples of electronic communication mediums include, but are not limited to, electronic mail also known as email, instant messaging, chat rooms, cell phone text messaging, and web logs also known as blogs.

   B.   The use of any electronic communication medium by the members of any city board commission or the Common Council during any meeting that is required to be open to the public by South Dakota law is prohibited.  Notwithstanding this provision, members of the Common Council may review e-mail messages that have been received prior to a Common Council meeting but may not engage in any communication activity using e-mail during a meeting.