The town of Tisbury is going to begin talking about creative ways to hold its town meeting and the town election and floated the ideas of holding the town’s business outside at Owen Park and having a drive-up town election amid the ongoing pandemic.
On Tuesday, the board officially delayed the town meeting at least until May 30, but is looking at dates in June for both the town meeting and town election. Town moderator Deborah Medders said legally the date can only be moved ahead by 30 days and that’s why she was seeking the May 30 date. The town meeting, originally scheduled for March 31 had been delayed until April 30.
“I would love to hear some creative thinking,” selectman Jeff Kristal said. “An outside meeting at Owen Park would be kind of cool.”
Kristal also discussed the possibility of using the Tisbury School or the American Legion Hall to allow for more social distancing for the election. Elections are typically held in the town’s Emergency Services Facility.
In other business, town administrator Jay Grande said after a recent storm, the state issued an emergency order to allow for the shoring up of Beach Road, which had badly eroded. About 800 cubic feet of dredge materials were used to shore up the roadway.
“That road was being undermined and I sent out those urgent communications last week,” Grande said. “I was gratified to see some movement on it.”
Selectman Jim Rogers said the area is in need of permanent repairs.
The easiest and smoothest way to handle the town meetings is for respective selectmen to create new annual warrants funding only operational articles freezing all amounts at last years level, then sending absentee ballots to all registered voters for a quick yea or nay. All other articles can be put on a Special later in the year.
I agree with hanley. The more we can do from home the better. Also, we should not assume that at any point in the next 6-18+ months will it be safe to gather in numbers.
I agree with Hanley too but state law doesn’t allow absentee ballots for town meeting voting.
Laws can change quick in an emergency.
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