Stonington plans to resume in-person municipal meetings June 1
May 9—STONINGTON — First Selectwoman Danielle Chesebrough has said that town boards and commissions are planning to resume in-person meetings with the public allowed to attend beginning June 1.
She added they could even begin the week of May 24 if Gov. Lamont's executive orders are not extended.
The boards and commissions have been meeting virtually since the COVID-19 pandemic began. In some cases, a few board members would meet in the same room, while others members and staff would attend remotely. Selectmen and school board members and school staff have been meeting in person but the public could only attend virtually.
But with last week's data from Ledge Light Health district showing just 25 infections in town from April 18 to May 1 for a positivity rate of 2.4% as well as the state having the highest percentage of people vaccinated in the country, Chesebrough is moving back to in-person meetings.
To return to in-person meetings, Chesebrough said town officials are looking to use larger rooms to maintain social distancing as opposed to small spaces such as the Human Services Department conference which some boards use.
The school board has not announced when it will resume in-person meetings.
Asked if the town will continue to allow residents to access the meetings virtually after June 1, Chesebrough said that will not happen as it would be too difficult for one staff member to both run the in-person meeting and the virtual meeting. The town has been using virtual platforms and Facebook for their meetings.
Instead, she said the town will look to post recordings of the meetings after they are complete on the town's youtube channel.
