New Public Meeting Policy for Viewing Virtually
Telford Borough will be transitioning from its current public meeting streaming platform to Zoom for all virtual Borough meetings, beginning with the June 8 Borough Council Meeting.
In an effort to maintain a secure, orderly, and accessible virtual meeting environment, new procedures for online attendance will be implemented.
Individuals wishing to attend a meeting virtually will be required to complete a registration form in advance. The link for registration can be found HERE. Please register within 5 days of the public meeting you would like to attend. Once registered, participants will receive the Zoom meeting link via email. To help protect the integrity and security of the meeting, only preregistered attendees will be admitted to the virtual meeting.
This approach reflects best practices adopted by many municipalities in Pennsylvania and the surrounding region to reduce the risk of unauthorized disruptions. During the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, several public agencies experienced “Zoom-bombing” incidents involving uninvited participants who disrupted meetings with inappropriate or offensive content.
Some municipalities that have had issues with Zoom bombing are:
- The Lehigh County experienced a public meeting disruption in 2021 when an unauthorized participant interrupted the virtual meeting with profane audio and inappropriate conduct. LehighValleyNews.com
- Fountain Hill Borough Council, located in the Lehigh Valley region, was forced to abruptly end a virtual council meeting in 2020 after “Zoom-bombers” infiltrated the meeting and shared inappropriate content. Saucon Source
- West Norriton Township, Montgomery County, had a Board of Supervisors meeting disrupted in 2026 by individuals broadcasting racist slurs during the virtual meeting. NBC 10 Philadelphia
- Churchill Borough, Allegheny County also experienced a public meeting interruption involving racist language during a Zoom meeting in 2020. CBS News
In response to similar concerns, many municipalities have implemented advance registration and controlled access procedures. These include:
- Crafton Borough, Allegheny County, requires residents to register in advance for Borough Council Zoom meetings, after which attendees receive a confirmation email with meeting access information.
- East Buffalo Township, Union County, requires advance registration for virtual meetings and asks participants to provide identifying information before receiving Zoom access details.
- Edgemont Township, Delaware County, posts registration links for public meetings and webinars rather than publicly posting direct meeting access links.
- Solebury Township, Bucks County, requires residents to request meeting login information in advance specifically “to prevent spam and online abuse.”
- Ross Township, Allegheny County requires members of the public to register through Zoom before attending certain public meetings virtually.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we implement these updated procedures for virtual public meetings. These changes are intended to support a secure, orderly, and accessible environment for all participants while continuing to ensure public access to Borough meetings.