MONTAGUE — Annual Town Meeting seems most likely to be held the week of May 17. But the Selectboard is still unclear on whether the meeting can be held in person, or if voters would prefer an online meeting.
The Selectboard agreed earlier this month to postpone the Annual Town Meeting past its usual date of the first Saturday of May, noting the unpredictability of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the increasing likelihood that the public health situation might improve with a few extra weeks.
However, board members have also said they would avoid delaying Annual Town Meeting past the end of June, so as to be sure to establish an operating budget before the start of the next fiscal year on July 1. Last year, many local towns held their Town Meetings later in the summer or fall, complicating the process of setting a budget.
Scheduling the Town Meeting has proved less flexible than hoped, the board discussed last week, with several of the potential dates in June conflicting with school graduations, holidays or other obligations of town officials.
The discussion settled on a few dates in the week of May 17 that could work either for an online meeting, or an in-person meeting that would likely be outdoors.
“We don’t really have a lot of options,” said Selectboard member Michael Nelson.
The decision between online or in person will be informed by a survey, which board members said will be sent to Town Meeting representatives likely in the first week of April.
The two key issues in holding an in-person meeting, said Town Administrator Steve Ellis, will be the public health situation and the weather.
As the weather gets warmer and COVID-19 vaccines become more available, feelings about an in-person Town Meeting may become more favorable, which is why it seemed better to wait before opening the survey, said Selectboard Chair Rich Kuklewicz.
“The situation on the ground really matters,” Ellis said. “Each week we have the potential for dozens or maybe even hundreds more Montague residents to receive their vaccinations.”
The date for an in-person meeting would most likely be Saturday, May 22, with a rain date of Sunday, May 23, board members agreed.
An online Special Town Meeting was already held in February, showing that it is at least possible to hold a meeting virtually if necessary. If voters indicate they would prefer that, the meeting would likely be split across two dates to accommodate the typically long warrant of the Annual Town Meeting, Ellis said.
The dates for an online meeting would most likely be the Tuesday and Thursday of that week, May 18 and 20.
“Whichever it is, we’ll have to make it work,” said Selectboard member Christopher Boutwell.
Reach Max Marcus at mmarcus@recorder.com or 413-930-4231.