Many area towns are taking steps to limit attendance at public meetings — including from both the public and members of boards and commissions — in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
For some towns, this means canceling as many meetings as possible; for others, it means streaming them online and using conference call technology to prevent members from meeting in person. And in some towns, meetings will be held as usual but without a public audience.
But many are still unsure of exactly what approach they will take to limit face-to-face encounters while trying to conduct town business.
East Windsor already streams many of its meetings, including all Board of Selectmen meetings, live on its YouTube channel. The meetings are immediately uploaded to the website in full after concluding.
However, First Selectman Jason Bowsza said Monday that he suspected that limiting in-person attendance from the public would be a move the town would soon have to make.
Bowsza also said officials are trying to establish video and teleconferencing so that board members can conduct meetings without ever having to come to Town Hall. In a subsequent social media post, he said teleconferencing could replace the online broadcasts.
“The town may continue to use the YouTube transmission in the short term, or may be relegated to conference calls only, if circumstances warrant it,” he wrote.
But Bowsza said that the town would not forego a public comment period, and the best way to facilitate public participation during a remote meeting has yet to be determined.
Windsor Locks, meanwhile, does not stream its meetings online or on television, and First Selectman Christopher Kervick said the town currently doesn’t have that technological ability.
Kervick said the last resort for the town would be to limit public attendance, but he said, “That’s not our first choice,” adding that public participation is “an important aspect of what we do.”
The town’s initial strategy, he said, is to see which meetings can be canceled “without really disrupting our business here in town.” But many meetings are not urgent and likely can be postponed, he added.
Any meeting that could not be rescheduled is “one that involves the basics of making sure our citizens are safe and fed and making sure our employees are paid,” Kervick said.
Yesterday at noon, East Hartford announced that all town buildings would be closed to the public until further notice.
“It is imperative that these procedures are in place to limit exposure risks,” Mayor Marcia Leclerc said.
While the town approved a budget last week that included $10,000 for online streaming of meetings, the technology will not be ready “until after the crisis is over,” according to Town Council Chairman Rich Kehoe.
Leclerc said all boards and commissions that are not governed by state statute would have their meetings postponed, and she said her office would reach out to the governor’s office to see if it would temporarily waive statutory requirements for bodies like the Inland Wetlands Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals, which must take certain actions by certain dates in order to comply with state law.
Manchester’s Eighth Utilities District Director John Topping said that, unlike the town, the district does not have the ability to live stream its meetings online. However, he said he has reached out to General Manager Scott Shanley to see if the district, which provides fire and sewer service to one third of the town, could use the town’s facilities in order to broadcast its meetings online.
In the meantime, Topping said, Mayor Jay Moran advised district officials to ensure that those who attend their meetings are spread out in the audience rather than sitting close together. Topping said the district’s meetings rarely draw 20 or more attendees.
Moving forward, he said the district would follow any town recommendations with regard to canceling meetings, but would “make every effort” to make online streaming possible.
On Monday night, Enfield’s Town Council meeting was streamed on YouTube but did not have a public audience and, therefore, no public comment period.
Town Manager Christopher Bromson said many less essential meetings, like subcommittee meetings, were canceled in his town, but are being done on a case-by-case basis.
Windsor also is streaming meetings live, but without an audience. Meetings can be viewed on the town website or the local community access television station, or listen to the audio by calling 1-312-626-6799 and then dialing the identification number: 993-829-984#.
South Windsor, which already broadcasts meetings live on its website and local cable station, has also closed its Town Hall to the public. They are accepting public comment for meetings via email at:
towncouncilcomments@southwindsor-ct.gov.
While there is a wide variety in the way towns are handling public participation periods, Thomas Hennick, public education officer for the state Freedom of Information Commission, said there is no public comment requirement in the state Freedom of Information Act. He said he is not aware of any such requirement anywhere else in state law.
“If they can’t do it or chose not to, there’s no violation there,” he said.
The only caveat, Hennick said, is that some have argued that there is a First Amendment right to speak at public meetings, but he said he has “never seen (the argument) played out anywhere.”
Staff Writer Vin Gallo contributed to this story
