[Massplanners] Hybrid Meetings

[Michelle Tyler]

One of my "favorite" topics (said tongue in cheek).

Randolph has held hybrid meetings for board members since March 2020. Some
meetings have 1 member and other meetings there are 3 members.  We have
NEVER been hybrid for public participation specifically because the meeting
room and technology aren't arranged to allow all participants (board
members, applicants, public) to actually see everything.  Public in-person
at a meeting wouldn't have a clear view of the screen where a presentation
is made or board members are speaking/acting. Remote participants wouldn't
be able to see anything taking place *in* the meeting room other than the
table with their fellow board members.  You can imagine the potential
issues!

As to your questions:  there is one person managing all aspects of the
meeting - yours truly. No clerical staff, no cable access TV staff, just
me. I help the chair run the meeting, pay attention to what's going on, pay
attention to the Zoom to allow public speaking as permitted.  We do run
these as webinars so it's a bit easier than managing it as a Zoom meeting
but is far from ideal.

Have we had technical issues?  No, "we" haven't but occasionally an
applicant or other participant has had issues.  The chair decides whether
to continue that particular business to a subsequent meeting or handle it
in a different fashion.

I've recently had discussions with leadership about what would be necessary
to have a true hybrid meeting with members of the public in-person.  It
includes additional technology AND support staff. There is no way for one
person to manage all of the aspects of a regulatory meeting AND manage the
technology involved to ensure adequate access to all participants.  I'm
still waiting for resolutions.


*Michelle R. Tyler*
*Director of Planning*
*Town of Randolph*
*781-961-0936*
*Please be advised that the Massachusetts Secretary of State considers
e-mail to be a public record, and therefore subject to the Massachusetts
Public Records Law, M.G.L. c. 66 § 10.*
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