Town government is awaiting the outcome of a state legislative conference committee decision to learn the fate of future board and committee meetings on the Zoom platform.
Editor’s Note: Last-minute update from WCVB TV-5 –https://www.wcvb.com/article/massachusetts-pandemic-era-state-of-emergency-expires/36725317
The cessation of the Massachusetts state of emergency at midnight Monday invalidated the protocols that suspended open meeting law requirements and allowed remote participation since the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Although the House and the Senate have been working on legislation to extend the protocols, there are differences between the two versions. As the conference committee tries to reach agreement, several meetings had to be canceled this week, such as the regional Hanscom Field Advisory Commission and the Hanscom Area Towns Selectmen (HATS).
According to the open meeting law, government meetings must be posted 48 hours in advance, excluding weekends. So the Bedford Select Board has until the end of Thursday to see what happens with the location of next Monday’s meeting.
Indeed, the superintendent of schools’ office notified reporters on Tuesday that if the extension isn’t approved by Friday morning, which is when the agenda is posted, next Tuesday’s School Committee meeting will take place in person.
Every remote meeting since mid-March 2020 has begun with a statement acknowledging the governor’s order “suspending certain provisions of the open meeting law.” The announcement also says, “No in-person attendance by members of the public will be permitted, but every effort will be made to ensure that the public can adequately access the proceedings in real time, via technological means.”
In Bedford, the Zoom webinars have not only been live but also recorded for access on Bedford TV’s YouTube channel. Normally only major boards have been broadcast and recorded.
The legislation, which also needs the governor’s signature, also extends outdoor dining and take-out cocktails.
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