It’s not uncommon for traveling aldermen to take part in city council meetings by phone from their hotel rooms. But last night’s Bettendorf City Council meeting was a bit more high tech than that. The mayor, city administrator and two aldermen in Washington, D.C., used the Internet technology Skype to communicate with two aldermen back home in the council chambers.
Thanks to a couple of inexpensive cameras, both sides could see and hear other — and the call was free. The city officials in Washington are there for the National League of Cities Congressional Conference.
By Phil Roberts, Davenport