A free Massachusetts Select Board Association webinar today discussed the technology and staffing resources required for municipalities to run successful virtual and hybrid meetings.

Virtual and hybrid public meetings have allowed municipalities to continue operations during the pandemic, and have the added benefit of improving equity in access, public engagement and transparency in government operations. But these meetings require both the right technology and the right staffing to ensure an orderly meeting with limited interruptions.

Franklin TV Executive Director Peter Fasciano gave an overview of the technology that his town uses to run virtual and hybrid meetings. He discussed the audio and video systems used for the local access television station to make meetings available to the public, and the protocols in place for both Franklin TV and town staff to ensure successful meetings.

Cohasset Planning and Zoning Director Lauren Lind gave an overview of staff responsibilities during virtual meetings, and discussed their advantages and disadvantages. She outlined best practices for virtual meetings, and discussed steps her town is taking to prepare for hybrid meetings in the future.

• Truly Open Meetings: Technology for Connectedness – Our Community Access FranklinTV (800K PDF)
• Virtual Meetings – Town of Cohasset (600K PDF)
• Zoom Operation and Signals Overview – town of Franklin (2.5M PDF)