Will Town Meeting Be Held in March or May this Year? Select Board to Decide on Jan. 12
The Select Board met on Monday, January 4, 2021 and began discussion about moving Town Meeting from the traditionally held meeting on the first Tuesday in March to the first Tuesday in May for 2021. (The minutes should be posted by tomorrow, Friday Jan. 8.)
Select Board Chair Dave Fuller wrote in an email, sent to a number of people in town, "The Governor and legislature have both given flexibility to the Towns to determine whether to keep the March dates or move them."
The Select Board is considering alternative dates of May 1, 2021 (for the Saturday informational meeting) and Australian ballot voting on May 4, 2021 (in -person at Martin Hall and also by absentee ballot).
Under consideration for the date change is that if the town holds off until May 1 the meeting could be held at the Weathersfield School's ball field under a rented tent. The Vermont Health Department has said that large gatherings with physical distancing outdoors are safer in the prevention of the spread of SARS-CoV2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
If the March date remains, the meeting could be held in the school gymnasium, as has been done in past years, but the number of people attending will be limited (in compliance with Vermont Health Restrictions) and the school and gym will need extensive cleaning after the meeting before classes will be allowed to resume.
Fuller's email supported the change in dates as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic Vermont State gathering restrictions and sites a successful zoning hearing held at the Weathersfield School in a large rented tent last summer.
In either case, a remote option will be available to town's people that choose not to attend in-person.
The Select Board will make its final decision at their January 12 meeting (the date is being moved to Tuesday evening next week because of a scheduling conflict.)
The Annual Town Meeting date change will also affect the Annual School Board Meeting and possibly the presentation of both the Town and School budgets to the voters. (Both the Town and School budget/financial year ends are June 30 2021.)
Typically the Town Report is available in late January/early February, a date change could also effect its publication.
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