HOULTON, Maine — Town council meetings solely available in a virtual setting will soon become a thing of the past in Houlton.
The Houlton Town Council, by a consensus vote, agreed that its next meeting on Monday, June 8, would be held in person, rather than by an online video conference as has been the case for the past few months.
Houlton Town Manager Marian Anderson explained that as of June 1, the number of people who can gather in a public space increases to 50 and as such, an in-person meeting of councilors becomes feasible.
“We have set up the council room with the councilors spread out and we can fit 11 chairs in there,” she explained. “It’s your meeting, it’s your call. We do have masks available for those that want to wear them. It’s whatever the council would like to do.”
Councilor Chris Robinson said he was “100 percent” in favor of coming back to a live meeting format. Councilor Jim Bell and Chairman Jane Torres both said they were in favor of the in-person meeting.
“I will be so glad when we can all convene together,” said councilor Ed Lake.
Councilor Sue Tortello said while she was in favor of gathering in person, she had concerns about limiting how many members of the public can attend their meetings.
“If we only have 11 chairs, we need to come up with a policy to determine who gets those seats,” she said. “I think it would be very important to make sure that we have our meetings televised and also still available electronically for people. We also need a policy on using the elevator and the restrooms.”
The council meets on the second floor of the Town Office, with access for the public made via an elevator in the lobby. Two staircases are also available, but those are typically locked and not available for the public.
Councilor Eileen McLaughlin said while she too would like to meet in person, she had reservations on the logistical side of conducting meetings safely.
“What are we thinking for a policy on masks?” she asked. “I was recently at a public place where everyone should have been distancing, but very few were. Only two people out of 15 had masks on.”
Torres responded that if she was sitting six feet away, she considered that adequate for social distancing and would not need to wear a mask. Councilors Lake and Robinson agreed.
“Certainly anyone that wants to wear a mask is welcome to do so,” Torres added.
The available seating to the public for the next regular meeting will be on a “first-come, first-served” basis.
