Carole,
There was an interesting discussion about Hybrid Meetings at the June 23 Selectmen’s Meeting. Although I wasn’t there in person or on Zoom, I later watched the meeting on CTSBtv.org to learn what took place. I would like to comment in SU, and I will also email the selectmen.
I disagree with Chuckie’s statement that if you don’t participate in a meeting in real time, it is useless “after the fact”.
Streaming on CTSB is the only way to know exactly what happened and that requires hybrid meetings. You can always comment “after the fact” by contacting board and committee members.
Chuckie added, you can find out what took place by reading the newspaper. We all know that’s not true. Stockbridge Updates highlights what took place at almost all Town meetings.
The discussion centered around a staffing shortage at CTSB making them unable to cover all town meetings in the future and the options that are available to the town to continue providing coverage. CTSB will cover selectman’s meetings and possibly other regulatory boards but not all meetings.
One option from CTSB is to hire their staff members, if available, at a cost of $50/hour to provide the support needed.
Another option brought forward by Michael Canales can and will be tried now. It is to train the paid committee secretaries as well as other town staff or committee members to login to Zoom, to enable screen sharing, and, if necessary, to quickly end a meeting in case of Zoom bombing. It’s not difficult.
CTSB would still post the recordings on their website and the IT budget could cover the cost for some meetings that need assistance. If in the future there is a need for more funding, the question can be brought to voters at a Special Town Meeting or annual Town Meeting. Sounds reasonable to me.
The voters at the May 16 town meeting passed the article requiring that all town meetings have a real time remote component. (There was an amendment added if posted site visits include deliberations, they are exempt.)
The unique characteristics of Stockbridge increase the importance of continuing hybrid meetings. Over 50% of residents are over 65 and over 60% are second homeowners. Without the remote component and CTSB there would be a lack of transparency with regard to what takes place at town meetings.
Anita Schwerner
Carole,
The Duke family (Jessie, Frank, Chris and Rachel) will be hosting a Golf Tournament and Silent Auction/Raffle fundraiser on August 20, 2022 at Wyndhurst Golf and club (formerly Cranwell Resort) in honor of their son and brother, Dan Duke.
Twenty-one years ago, when Danny was 22 years old, he suffered a head injury while attending college. He spent many months at Spaulding rehab in Boston, though never regained consciousness. For the past 21 years, Danny has lived at a nursing home within a mile of his parent’s home in Lenox, where they spent every day with him. Danny passed away on May 19, 2022 due to complications from COVID.
The family has lived in Lenox for 46 years and is proud to call that community home. Both sons were a part of the Lenox Public School System, and Danny also attended and graduated from Monument Mountain Regional High School, BHRSD. The funds raised from this event will be added to the existing scholarship, The Dan Duke Memorial Scholarship Fund, that has been created to support students graduating from MMRHS and to honor Dan.
You can register for the golf tournament at dandukegolf@gmail.com. $110 per person with a shotgun start at 9AM. Please email the players’ names and contact information to this email address. Checks can be payable to: The Dan Duke Memorial Scholarship Fund or by Venmo to @DanDuke-Golf. Checks can be mailed to Frank Duke, 228 New Lenox Road, Lenox Massachusetts 01240. If anyone wants to get involved — help out, contact me.
Bets wishes,
Rick Wilcox
Celebrating Ben Franklin, Publisher
Carole,
Ben Franklin was many things: inventor, author, the first US Postmaster General, drafter and signer of the Declaration of Independence. Before all of that, however, he began his career as an apprentice, a printer, and a publisher.
Franklin went on to become one of the most accomplished and influential publishers in Colonial America.
Fast forward nearly 250 years, and I continue to be inspired by how ordinary folks like Ben Franklin, publisher, came together on July 4, 1776 to declare:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Franklin recognized that a free and functioning press was essential to ensure a free and functioning democracy. Thank you for channeling Ben with Stockbridge Updates, and have a wonderful Independence Day.
Patrick White