The Elsmere City Council voted to deny councilmember Serena Owen’s request for virtual attendance.
Owen has been seeking to attend council meetings remotely since September 2024 as accommodation for her disability.
Councilmember Gloria Grubbs prefaced, during the city’s first caucus meeting of 2025 on Jan. 7, by saying that various accommodations were offered to Owen for her ADA request, which include a chauffeur to the meetings, a police escort, a bulletproof vest and plexiglass protection around Owen’s seat.
Owen has been the subject of criticism from several Elsmere residents and political candidates due to lack of attendance at meetings throughout 2024; she has not attended a meeting in person since June.
Owen has cited concerns about her safety as the reason for missing meetings and has pitched the idea of allowing virtual and hybrid-style meetings as an alternative.
Members who were part of the previous council did not support Owen’s request, and they have not changed their minds. Justin Wade, the only new addition to the city council, also voiced disapproval of virtual attendance.
“You should be here serving the public for the public if you’re elected by the people, and you’re not serving them very well virtually,” Wade said.
The council unanimously voted against granting the request, closing the issue for the remainder of the year.