NORTH SMITHFIELD – Just like the rest of us, members of the North Smithfield Town Council need to practice social distancing and at least for the time being, that means gathering with residents at the middle school to discuss and vote on municipal issues isn’t an option.
But town business must go on.
As such, the board will hold its first virtual meeting on Monday, March 30, where members will get updated on ongoing topics and vote electronically, including completion of the Kendall Dean renovation, and a bond for a water line extension for Mechanic Street and Old Great Road.
The public cannot attend the meeting in person, but residents can still watch the teleconference on their computers, laptops or smartphones via Zoom, or call to listen in from their phones.
“This will be our town’s first teleconferenced meeting,” noted Town Councilor Douglas Osier in announcing the news. “I am happy to see the town leverage technology during these challenging times.”
The emergency meeting will start at 6:45 p.m. and will include the normal communications and payment of bills. It will also include an update from the Municipal Building Review Task Force, with authorization of signature of a “Certificate of Substantial Completion,” for Kendall Dean.
Town Hall and town Annex offices will be moving to the former school, and a project to rehab the building has been underway since fall of 2018.
The complete agenda can be found here.
Carl Johnson, who typically records the town’s public School Committee and Town Council meetings to create an archive on YouTube, says he does hope to create a video of Monday’s gathering, although he’s still working out the logistics.
To join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone, visit https://zoom.us/j/470724545 . To dial in from your phone call
(301) 715-8592 and use Meeting ID 470 724 545.
