Board Votes To Allow Fall Town Meeting To Be Held Virtually

BROOKLINE, MA — Although masks are largely off around Brookline as fear about the pandemic subsides, given uncertainty surrounding variants of the virus, town officials have voted to allow the town's legislature to meet remotely in the fall - if needed.

The Town Meeting Moderator Kate Poverman requested permission from the select board to hold virtual meetings, Deputy Town Moderator Melissa Goff said Tuesday.

"She consulted with [Brookline Health Commissioner] Dr. Jett, and given the uncertainty around variants, felt it was prudent to prepare for a virtual town meeting." Goff said.

When the state of an emergency that was put in effect March 10, 2020 ended in June, the state's allowance for communities to hold their Town Meetings online went with it.

But proponents noted public participation increased during the pandemic, and the virtual meetings offer more equity by making it easier for people with work, transportation or childcare issues to attend.

An extension of the rules past the emergency order would likely require bodies to hold hybrid meetings, where the session is held in person with the ability for people to participate remotely. There would also be exemptions for boards that don't have the technological capabilities to offer remote meetings.

Although the Select Board voted Tuesday to allow virtual meetings, they are not a given, according to Poverman.

"The Select Board's authorization to hold the Fall Special Town Meeting remotely does not require us to hold the meeting remotely," Poverman said in an email to Town Meeting members.

State law requires moderators to request approval months in advance.

"I submitted the request to leave the option of a remote meeting open because we cannot predict the status of the Covid Epidemic in November," she said in the email.

See this, too: Brookline Pushes MA To Continue To Allow Remote Meetings ...

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