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Important Notice Regarding New Policy for Meetings and Hearings

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING MEETINGS AND HEARINGS

As you may know, due to Covid-19, the Town of Hull will be holding remote meetings and hearings for the foreseeable future.  The Town has also designated the Town’s website as the official method for posting notices of meetings and hearings and postings will no longer be done via the notebook at the Police Station or the Town Hall bulletin board until further notice.

Meetings and hearings will be held remotely by telephone as an alternate means of public access pursuant to an Order issued by the Governor of Massachusetts dated March 12, 2020 Suspending Certain Provisions of the Open Meeting Law. You are hereby advised that these meetings/hearings and all telephone communications during this meeting/hearing may be recorded by the Town of Hull in accordance with the Open Meeting Law.

This notice is to update you on the current public meeting changes in response to Governor Baker's declaration of a public health emergency, the related Emergency Executive Order dated March 12, 2020, (Executive Order) as well as the Hull Board of Selectmen’s Declaration of Emergency voted March 20, 2020. 

 

Effective Immediately: All Committee and Board Meetings should meet remotely until further notice. The Town Calendar on the website will now be the official method for posting meeting notices for the duration of the present situation. Please see Town Counsel Lampke's memo (attached) for additional information on this matter.

The audioconferencing application GoToMeeting will be used for this purpose. Our IT Department is working diligently on setting up each Board and Committee Chairperson or their designee with hosting capabilities. Instructions to follow within the next week. Please notify us asap if you would like to add a designee with hosting capabilities.  This application will permit the public to access and participate in future Board meetings and hearings. Instructions for joining meetings in this manner will be provided by the IT Department as well as on the Town's website and agendas.

In the meantime, please feel free to familiarize yourself with this platform.  Additional information can also be found at: 

“Go To Meeting” training:  https://attendee.gototraining.com/5p6g1/catalog/6185640558473054208?tz=A...

Click here for Quick Start Guide:  https://insidesalesemail.com/dl.aspx?cid=6686&6686_rm_id=161.18094545.76...

or https://support.goto.com/meeting/videos

Attached is the revised sample meeting notice and agenda that should be used.  An online link and telephone access number must be provided on all meeting agendas and also on each Board and Committees website page. 

As a reminder, all Open Meeting Laws must continue to be followed Including proper posting timeliness, minute taking, and verbal roll call for all votes made at each remote meeting.  For additional guidelines regarding remote participation please see information from the Attorney General’s office at:  (940 CMR 29:10 at:  (940 CMR 29:10)   and remote participation in the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law Guide at:  (MA OML Guide)

Please note:  Postings will continue to only be made during normal office hours.

We extend our thanks for your understanding and participation. Our goal is to continue to keep members of Boards/Committees and the public safe.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

If you wish to participate in a meeting or hearing, you should go to the Town website at  https://www.town.hull.ma.us, click on the Town Calendar and go to the date and event you are interested in.  Information will be listed there on how to access that specific meeting, such as what number you need to dial to call in using a phone or how you can access a meeting using your computer. If you are using a computer, please note that you will not be able to speak if you do not have a microphone.

If you are unable to join a virtual meeting, you may in some instances be able to submit written comments regarding agenda items to the Board or Committee via contact information found on the Board or Committee’s webpage on the Town website.

We thank you for your understanding during these unprecedented times. Please Stay safe and stay healthy!