Coronavirus Forces Changes To Arlington Town Meeting

ARLINGTON, MA — Arlington Town Meeting will likely be postponed until late June, Town Moderator John Leone said last week. Town officials met virtually April 21 and determined that if Town Meeting is held at all, it will be a truncated meeting held at an outdoor venue, according to Leone.

"We are still exploring the logistics and first must determine if it will be safe to do so," Leone wrote in a letter to Town Meeting members April 23. "The full scope of the logistics, including meeting venue, seating arrangements, check-in procedures, electronic voting system, distribution of materials (or not), measures to be taken by attendees (e.g., masks, gloves, social distancing, bathrooms), signage/notices, maximum exposure time, and so on are not finalized."

But the logistics aren't the only part of Town Meeting that will look different this year – Leone said the warrant will only include necessary Financial Articles, such as Capital Budgets, Bonding Articles, CPA and CDBG. These would be handled with a series of consent agenda votes.

The Redevelopment Board is not expected to pursue any of its zoning articles and the Select Board is likewise expected to move No Action on all of its non-financial articles, Leone said. Leone will reach out to citizens who submitted voter articles to discuss having their articles deemed No Action as well.

Articles are expected to be placed on the next warrant, either a Special Town Meeting or Annual Meeting by the Select Board, and not be opposed on technical grounds. As for the conduct of Town Meeting itself, Leone will issue revised rules for this year alone. This will likely include requiring board, commission and committee reports to be submitted in written form and electronically distributed to Town Meeting members prior to the meeting.

Questions and comments from the Town Meeting members, as a well as any proposed amendments, will also be required to be submitted in advance so that written responses can be provided and distributed in advance.

There is currently a bill before the Legislature that would allow for some form of Virtual
Town Meeting, but its status and the form of the legislation is not finalized. There is no provision in state law or the town by-laws that allows for a Virtual Town Meeting, but the Massachusetts Moderators Association is exploring how such a meeting could be conducted.

Leone is forming a Moderators Committee to explore how a virtual meeting could work in Arlington, including issues such as:

1) Managing speakers and questions from the floor.
2) Muting the audience to avoid interruptions while enabling points of order.
3) Capturing amendments in writing.
4) Voting on amendments.
5) Inclusion of Town Meeting Representatives who are challenged by technology.
6) Verifying TMMs identify.
7) Conducting and verifying the actual votes.
8) Staffing the meeting.

Read Leone's full letter to residents and Town Meeting members here.