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<p class="MsoNormal">I whole-heartedly agree. I did try to host “hybrid” meetings in 2021 after we returned to “in person” board meetings. I invested a little under $200 in equipment to enable those at home to see/hear the board and for the board to be able
to hear Zoom users. I am the only staff person at our Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals meetings. After several meetings I had to admit I just couldn’t do it. Aside from the sound and video issues, I was getting emails and texts from those at
home who were having difficulty using Zoom. I had applicant’s engineers using Zoom that we could barely hear. Then the members started to take advantage of Zoom and I would have members mixed in with public users while trying to conduct a public hearing.
We are also televised live on local cable which introduced another problem for the camera crew to be able to see/hear all users adequately.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It was plausible that one night I might show up with all my equipment and not have any board members in attendance – just me running the equipment in an empty room with all members/public using zoom.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We do have to think of all the possibilities and come up with a plan for how to move forward to allow hybrid meetings. A planner is usually a jack/jill of all trades, and I know I can figure out how to set something up to make hybrid meetings
work, but there’s too many chances for possible open meeting violations if members of the public cannot hear/see what is going on at the public hearings/meetings.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Meanwhile, I will continue to advocate for the town to invest in the necessary gear/technology/staff necessary make hybrid meetings possible. We are due to move into our new Town Hall sometime in 2025 – and we have asked for the newest
technology for our meeting room, so I’m hoping that will facilitate conducting hybrid meetings.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#244061">Katrina O'Leary, AICP
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif">Middleton Town Planner</span></b><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#244061"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif">195 North Main Street Middleton, MA 01949 PH: (978)777-8917<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:8.0pt;color:#244061">When responding, please be aware that the Massachusetts Secretary of State has determined that most email is public record and, therefore, cannot be kept confidential.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></i></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b>From:</b> MassPlanners <massplanners-bounces@masscptc.org>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Nipun Jain via MassPlanners<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, June 8, 2023 12:25 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> Michelle Tyler <mtyler@randolph-ma.gov>; Joseph Giniewicz <jginiewicz@westfordma.gov><br>
<b>Cc:</b> MassPlanners@masscptc.org<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [Massplanners] Hybrid Meetings<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:yellow"><span style="color:black">[CAUTION:] This message was sent from outside of the Town of Middleton. Please do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the source of this email and know the content
is safe. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Very important observation below. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It is nearly impossible to provide tech support, manage the meeting and provide input on the discussion during a public HEARING in a hybrid meeting by just ONE person (the planner). For seamless operations, investment in technology, gear,
personnel, staff for pre and post meeting preparation will be needed. Without investment in these resources, smaller communities may find it challenging. It would be better to choose one format – virtual or in person for ease of management and operation.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0079AC">NIPUN JAIN</span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#444444"><br>
</span><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Director of Planning</span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#444444"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:12.75pt"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#118ACB;background:white">T</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#118ACB;background:white"> </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">(978)
388-8110<br>
</span><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#118ACB;background:white">C</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#118ACB;background:white"> </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">(978)
270-9873</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#118ACB;background:white"><br>
</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#118ACB"><br>
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<img width="288" height="69" style="width:3.0in;height:.7187in" id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image001.png@01D99AB7.DC925310"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b>From:</b> MassPlanners <<a href="mailto:massplanners-bounces@masscptc.org">massplanners-bounces@masscptc.org</a>>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Michelle Tyler via MassPlanners<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, June 8, 2023 12:14 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> Joseph Giniewicz <<a href="mailto:jginiewicz@westfordma.gov">jginiewicz@westfordma.gov</a>><br>
<b>Cc:</b> <a href="mailto:MassPlanners@masscptc.org">MassPlanners@masscptc.org</a><br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [Massplanners] Hybrid Meetings<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black">One of my "favorite" topics (said tongue in cheek).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black">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
<b><i>in</i></b> the meeting room other than the table with their fellow board members. You can imagine the potential issues!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black">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. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:#A64D79;border:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"><img border="0" width="96" height="95" style="width:1.0in;height:.9895in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image003.jpg@01D99AB5.E82139F0" alt="Image removed by sender."></span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:blue">Michelle R. Tyler</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:blue">Director of Planning</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:blue">Town of Randolph</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:blue">781-961-0936</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:7.5pt;color:#222222">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.</span></i><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Notice: Please be aware the Massachusetts Secretary of State has determined that most emails to and from the City of Amesbury are public records and therefore cannot be kept confidential.<br>
<a href="https://linklock.titanhq.com/analyse?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmalegislature.gov%2FLaws%2FGeneralLaws%2FPartI%2FTitleX%2FChapter66%2FSection10%2F&data=eJxdjUsPgjAQhH8NvUlAkOChB2MiMXrA6MHr0m6g0gdpFx__3pJ4Mtlkvp3ZzAperQuZd2WG21rWTHKjpNRIzhpIe_dkhjftOMuLqt6nzYMFbiCESYO16MOqc7MVGJIyW2wxkUid75nnI5BXFlKnEfxnyf96Zz4QTSEpdsn6EMeAxl4FDTR7XC6id4ZXiNJg_AX6t7Xg6Rj1pkjjPcJ-gInQV1XkKwpSzuZZ5C8dVkvm">MGL:
Chpt.66, Sec.10 Public Records Law.</a> <o:p></o:p></p>
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