To Zoom Or Not To Zoom: Tolland Meeting Formats Being Discussed

TOLLAND, CT — Tolland town officials are pondering just what the municipal meeting landscape will look like when Gov. Lamont's coronavirus-related remote meeting decree "expires" at the end 0f the month.

"Executive order 7B is going to expire on June 30, and we now find ourselves at the crossroads of how do we best conduct public meetings going forward," Tolland Town manager Michael Roses said before Tuesday's town council meeting.

Rosen added that, for a out the past 15 months, Tolland has "adapted well" to the concept and implementation of remote meetings.
But what happens on July 1?

Rosen said the initial assertion was that the town would automatically revert back to the pre-pandemic way of conducting meetings — in-person, in public venues, subject to the Freedom of Information Act.

"We had been working on a remote participation policy for officials, which we held off on implementing until after the pandemic, to see if anything changed due to the pandemic," Rosen said. "In that draft, remote participation was only allowed as a matter of need and not convenience. With the EO expiring, we did not have much choice except to universally go back to in-person meetings, as remote meetings would no longer be permissible after July 1."

Then things changed, he said.

"However, last week, State Senate Bill 1202, also known as the Implementer Bill, passed the State House and the State Senate, and is currently awaiting signature by the governor. This new law does, in fact, give public agencies, after July 1, 2021 and until April 30, 2022, the ability to hold meetings accessible to the public by means of electronic equipment or by means of electronic equipment in conjunction with an in-person meeting," Rosen said.

The town'a legal staff then said that the Tolland Town Charter allows local boards to make their own protocols for meetings. Therefore, the Town Council cannot mandate to any other town board how it will conduct its meetings, as long as it complies with FOI law and the measures in the Implementer Bill, Rosen said.
Each town board will have to post a public meeting and its members should decide which way to conduct its business until the end of April, at least, Rosen said.

"I would recommend that all Town boards post a remote meeting using Zoom sometime in the next few weeks to gather together virtually, and discuss what it would prefer to do," Rosen said.

Rosen said the choices are:

• Conducting a meeting in-person, "like the old days"
• Conduct meeting in-person, plus by means of electronic equipment
• Just electronically, or fully remote

Some sort of remote option would sit well with residents. Here's a sampling of their comments at Tuesday's council meeting:

• "While the pandemic caused havoc in people's lives, one silver lining was that Zoom enabled community members to participate in their local government. The process allowed parents, senior citizens, people with disabilities, and residents who would not be able to attend meetings in person to be included in the work of town government. People have attended consistently and in record numbers.
• "Tonight there are about 25 public participants, which is a greater number than would likely attend in-person meetings on a regular basis."
• "Having the option of Zoom meetings and in-person meetings would benefit the town. There are many people in town for whom Zoom is an easier way for them to stay tuned to what is going on in local government and she looks forward to the Council's discussion.
• "I have young kids and it would be a hardship to attend meetings. Like other adaptations due to COVID, this one has proven to have value because it allows citizens to not only view meeting proceedings but also to participate. Many have discovered a way to engage in public government that was difficult previously due to accessibility issues such as disabilities, compromised immune systems, difficulty driving at night, or a lack of reliable transportation."
• "I can use my computer for closed captioning because I have a hard time hearing in person. I appreciate the meetings being on Zoom and iI am in favor of keeping them in this format."
• "During the pandemic there has been higher attendance at town meetings and I cannot conceive of any reason to discontinue this public access. Transparency in government is essential and it would show that the Council believes in transparency if it ensures Zoom or other remote participation."
• "Continuing Zoom is great for access and I support its continuation."