Tensions rose at the Sunset Hills Board of Aldermen meeting on Aug. 11 after Ward 4 Alderman Cathy Friedmann suggested that meetings of the Parks and Recreation Board be recorded and available to join virtually.

When addressing the board, Friedmann said that the issue came up when reviewing parks meetings as part of her role on the Parks and Stormwater Steering Committee: a new committee that is working to decide how to spend revenue acquired by the stormwater and parks sales tax. She was unable to watch recordings of past meetings, and she said the meeting minutes were not as detailed as she would like them to be.

“The Finance (Committee), Planning and Zoning and the Public Works (Board) all have meetings that are accessible by Zoom, and they’re recorded,” Friedmann said. “Last year, we had $5.6 million out of $13 million of the city budget spent on parks, and it’s not reported; it’s not accessible to the public. I’d like to make a motion that, moving forward, all Parks and Rec meetings be held with a Zoom option and with the meeting recorded so that it’s available on the website as a matter of transparency, like we do with all our other committees.”

This motion gained support from Friedmann’s fellow Ward 4 alderman, Fred Daues. In opposition to the motion, Ward 1 Alderman Natalie Akins — who is currently on the parks board — and Ward 3 Alderman Greg Colombo led the charge.

“We’ve heard the word tonight: transparency. We want a transparent city,” Daues said, bringing up a complaint with the meeting minutes that are published after each parks board meeting. “I’m not seeing the transparency that we have in other (committee) minutes.”

Colombo and Akins were primarily worried about the logistics of recording their meetings and offering a Zoom option for the public. The parks board often goes to Sunset Hills parks to walk around and inspect the land they are discussing, making it difficult to organize a Zoom meeting or produce an audible recording, according to the two aldermen.

“We often meet at the parks and we walk through them,” Akins said. “I think that’s a very important thing that we do, and during those meetings, I don’t know how we would record or have a Zoom. But otherwise, when we meet here, that makes sense to me.”

It was suggested that the parks board inspect the park first, then go to City Hall chambers for voting decisions — since City Hall has the appropriate facilities for a Zoom meeting and recording — or vice versa. City administrator Brittany Gillett and city attorney Erin Seeley interjected, saying that board meetings would not be able to adjourn and then pick back up in a different location.

“The logistics of (visiting) the parks — I understand that that’s not something I have to worry about with Public Works, but that’s a logistics issue you have to work around in order to communicate,” Daues said.

When it came time to vote, the motion to require the Parks and Recreation Board to record their meetings and offer a Zoom option failed 5-3. Akins, Colombo, Ward 1 Alderman Brian Fernandez and Ward 2 aldermen Mark Schwarz and Marie Davis voted against the motion; Friedmann, Daues and Ward 3 Alderman Angie Weigel voted in favor.

“Knowing that that did not pass, I would ask that the committee do a much deeper, thorough job on the minutes if that’s been an issue where we can’t discern presentations or any of the dialogue,” Fernandez said.