COVID-19 prompting changes in public meetings

LACONIA — As restrictions on public gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic stretch into their second week, governmental bodies are exploring ways they can continue doing business while juggling the needs for social distancing and ensuring the public’s right to know what public officials are doing.

In Laconia, the city is working to provide all the necessary technology so members of the City Council and critical boards and commission can meet remotely but at the time time allow the public and observe and participate in those meetings.

On Monday, Gov. Chris Sununu issued an executive order prohibiting public gatherings of 10 or more people. That edict superseded an executive order issued just one week before barring gatherings of 50 or more. And yesterday, Sununu issued an executive order directing all but nonessential people to stay at home. It wasn’t immediately clear how that would affect public meetings.

“We’re working through the scenario to make this work,” City Manager Scott Myers said Wednesday, before Sununu’s stay-home order..

Meetings of the City Council and other boards that meet in the same chambers are already carried live on Lakes Region Public Access, but that requires the viewer to be a subscriber of the Atlantic Broadband cable system. To provide wider audio-video access the city is looking to livestream meetings through the city’s YouTube channel. The city has also updated its GoToMeeting software which will allow for up to 100 people to be on a particular call.

The New Hampshire Municipal Association has told its members, including Laconia, that the guidance from the Governor’s and Attorney General’s offices states that regardless of any live-streaming or video conferencing capability, all official public meetings must be accessible through a phone number which not only allows members of the public to hear the proceedings, but also to offer comments during public hearings or other times designated for public input.

The city is still working on that part of the remote meeting infrastructure, Myers said.

But once that is in place the city will provide a specific phone number for residents to call in on during a meeting to provide input on public hearing or citizen comment portions of meetings.

Municipal bodies can ask people to submit comments in advance, either in writing or by e-mail, that can be read into the record.

The first municipal meeting expected to use this setup is the Planning Board meeting scheduled for April 7.

The Laconia School Board is also scheduled to meet on April 7. Superintendent Steve Tucker said the board is looking at having some board members attend that meeting remotely as a way to accomplish social distancing, but still allowing for at least some members of the public to attend the meeting.

Planning Director Dean Trefethen said Thursday he envisions that most Planning Board members will attend remotely, with just two or three board members and a couple of Planning Department staff members present in the meeting room. There are tentatively three items on the agenda. The applicants will come into the meeting room one at a time to make their presentations and answer questions. Members of the public will be able to call in with their questions and comments during the public hearing, Trefethen said.

The main item on the agenda is the proposal to build condominiums on the site of the current Barton’s Motel on Union Avenue. Trefethen said his office is contacting the applicants to find out if they want the consideration of their plans delayed or continued.

Because of the spread of coronavirus, the limitations on officials attending meetings remotely have been loosened. For the time being a quorum is no longer required to be physically present in one place. Also, governmental bodies have the ability to conduct regular business using conference calls or other electronic conferencing technology. Previously a quorum of a public body had to be physically present unless it was an emergency meeting called to take immediate action.

In Gilford, town officials are taking a wait-and-see approach.

Town Administrator Scott Dunn noted that the next regular selectmen’s meeting is set to take place on April 8. He said depending on what order is in place at the time, selectmen would look at alternative plans.

“Right now our plans are to proceed as normal,” Dunn said.

The health crisis is also causing the Lakeshore Redevelopment Planning Commission to hold its meeting on Monday via teleconference. The purpose of the meeting is to request a waiver with the Northern Borders Regional Commission. The Planning Commission, which is working on plans to redevelop the old Laconia State School Property, is hoping to secure grant funds which can be used to build new water and sewer lines on the property.