To stream or not to stream

Apr. 22—Since the country's early days, New England residents have gathered for town meetings and convened various boards and commissions to govern the populace and raise taxes in an open forum.

In many cases the concept has remained the same, but the way in which residents participate has changed dramatically, particularly in the last few years.

The coronavirus pandemic in 2020 turned what had been a slow decade-long shift towards live-streaming meetings into a virtual trial by fire.

In the process town officials had to deal with myriad challenges, ranging from the lack of adequate technology to remembering to state their name before speaking so virtual participants knew who was talking.

Residents of north-central Connecticut, especially those with young children, caretakers of the disabled or elder parents, or those who have sustained injuries, said they enjoyed the ability to participate in town government without having to leave home at night.

As a result, many municipalities have kept up with streaming all town and school meetings with varying methods and success ever since the worst of the pandemic has seemingly ended. But others have not, as they quietly reverted back to pre-pandemic practices.

In Suffield, First Selectman Colin Moll's first instinct when he was elected in 2021 was to stop streaming town meetings altogether. He was looking for a return to normalcy by then, and he believed it was no longer necessary as people were able to attend meetings in person. He agreed to keep it, however, after several residents suggested it was a convenience. The town has continued using the Zoom system ever since.

The selectmen conduct meetings in a hybrid method, where the board members are gathered in a meeting room at Town Hall, and residents can join them there in the building or watch and participate online from some remote place.

Moll said he understands if residents don't have time to attend the meetings in person, but thinks that anyone who wants to and is able to, should. For those who can't, one benefit of using the Zoom digital conference app is that residents can watch — and interact with the board during the public comment section.

There is a downside, however, to Suffield's method of posting meeting recordings to the town's website, as only the audio is available.

Not everyone on board

While the Suffield Board of Selectmen continues to embrace online streaming of its meetings, the town's Board of Finance, does not offer the service anymore. Chairman Eric Harrington said it was a decision his predecessor made, and he agrees with it because he believes the quality of participation is higher when residents attend meetings in person. Harrington said anyone who can't attend has access to detailed minutes from the meetings and can email or call members with comments that are read into the record.

The technology required to stream meetings live continues to be a hindrance for many, and towns have taken different approaches to working around it.

During the pandemic the Hebron Board of Selectmen began holding its meetings completely virtually, with all participants — including board members and town staff — safe in their own separate spaces, Town Manager Andrew Tierney said.

When it became time to return to in-person meetings, they discovered a problem. The Town Hall meeting room lacked the technology to stream the meeting in a hybrid manner, where board members were at the Town Hall and residents could watch and interact from home, Tierney said.

They had a decision to make: continue to hold the meetings virtually, or return to in-person only. Tierney said the selectmen chose to stay virtual, at least until the meeting room can be outfitted with equipment that allows remote access for public participation.

In Vernon, the Town Council has run into a similar problem in that it also can't hold hybrid meetings, Town Administrator Michael Purcaro said. The council's meetings are broadcast live and recorded to air on the local public access television channel.

Purcaro said the council can't hold hybrid meetings using a digital meeting service such as Zoom because of the way the room is set up for broadcasting. He said the town has been looking into technology upgrades, but it will require a substantial investment.

The Vernon Board of Education, meanwhile, which also holds its meetings in a old building that hasn't experienced the type of massive renovations Town Hall has undergone in the last decade, still manages to hold hybrid meetings that allow for remote public participation with the school board.

Purcaro, who also is chairman of the Board of Finance for the town of Ellington, says that town also streams all of its meetings in a hybrid format.

Purcaro said in today's fast paced world, any method that makes it easier to release information to the public and allow them to participate in government is vital.

As an example, he pointed to a recent vote in Ellington regarding spending a large amount of money that only a small percent of taxpayers attended.

"I think it's an absolute necessity," Purcaro said of virtual participation.

Likewise in Enfield, which has its own community television channel where meetings are broadcast through YouTube, Mayor Bob Cressotti said the Town Council used streaming services during the pandemic. But at some point town officials felt a need to get back to normal and have residents return to the building.

He said the main point of any digital streaming of town and school meetings is to make sure the town's business is open to the public, so residents know what's going on, and there aren't any surprises.

Participation, in these cases, requires effort.

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