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Shaftsbury Considers Requiring all Town Boards to Offer online Attendance Option

Posted: June 30, 2024

SHAFTSBURY - In light of recent Vermont Open Meeting Act revisions that will go into effect on July 1, the Select Board is considering requiring all town bodies to meet in a hybrid mode.

The Select Board meets in a hybrid fashion, in-person and on Zoom. In addition, its regular meetings are streamed and recorded by CAT-TV.

"It's coming out of COVID, and (now that) the national pandemic has ended, the Legislature has made some new rules about inclusivity and either going back to all in-person or a hybrid option. But being 100 percent remote now is not an option for any bodies that work in municipal government," said Martha Cornwell, board vice chair. "Except for advisory committees."

Select Board members discussed which town board are advisory and which are not. They agreed that the Select Board, the Development Review Board, the Cemetery Committee, and the Recreation Committee are not advisory. Currently, no Shaftsbury town bodies meet only electronically.

Act 133 (S.55), Amendments to the Open Meeting Law, will take effect July 1. According to a summary by the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, the act permits "advisory bodies" — those that do not have supervision, control, or jurisdiction over legislative, quasi-judicial, tax, or budgetary matters — to meet electronically without a physical meeting location (i.e., remotely)."

The Act states that local non-advisory public bodies "may hold all regular and special meetings entirely in person or in a hybrid fashion. These bodies shall record their meetings in audio or video form and post the recording in a designated electronic location for a minimum of 30 days following the approval and posting of the official minutes for a meeting, unless recording the meeting so would impose an undue hardship on the municipality."

"The state is saying that advisory committees are allowed to choose to do whatever they want," Miller said. "And that's really what we need to make a decision about. Do we want advisory committees to each be free to choose their own modality to be entirely virtual or entirely in-person or hybrid? Or do we want to make a policy?"

Board members made and seconded a motion that all town boards, advisory as well as non-advisory, conduct meetings in hybrid mode. Miller said it would be a requirement imposed on all committees. "Definitely it's the inclusive thing to do," she said of offering the public the ability to attend either in-person or remotely.

Cornwell suggested tabling the motion until a policy in writing could be considered. The board tabled the motion to the next meeting.

Assistant Town Clerk Jen Holley has been setting up the Zoom equipment for the Select Board and recording the meetings. She will be training the chairs and vice chairs of town boards to do so also.

The Opening Meeting amendment allows all public bodies to meet remotely in response to a state of emergency or "local incident," according to the VLCT.

Compliments of: The Bennington Banner
Posted/Author: Mark Rondeau

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