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Date: 6/1/2021
WESTFIELD – With the face covering mandate, capacity limits and industry restrictions lifted, local leaders are mapping out the full reopening of municipal buildings.
Two weeks ago, Gov. Charlie Baker announced that all industry COVID-19 related restrictions and capacity limits would be lifted. The exception includes congregate living homes and healthcare facilities, on public and private transportation and inside schools.
During the May 20 Westfield City Council meeting, Health Director Joseph Rouse said that he thought in-person meetings caould take place in City Hall after May 29, if there is a desire by the members of a given board or committee.
“Once we hit June, we are all in for in-person. It is going to be a matter of the body as a whole,” said Rouse.
Baker plans to lift the state of emergency on June 15.
Though the green light is being given by Rouse, there are technical issues that still need to be worked out. The City Council Chambers, where City Council, School Committee, and Planning Board meetings are hosted, is already set up with the infrastructure to broadcast meetings on channel 15.
Other boards, including the Board of Health, Police Commission and Fire Commission, meet in different rooms or different buildings altogether, and were not set up to broadcast meetings before the pandemic. Rouse said that the current plan is to have the Board of Health meeting in-person in June, though it is not clear yet if it will be broadcast in any capacity.
Rouse said one of the challenges being faced is that Open Meeting Law requires that all board members be visually identifiable to the public, which may be difficult to do with a single camera covering all members of the board.
Westfield City Council President Brent B. Bean II said the plan is for the council to go back in person in Council Chambers at the beginning of the fiscal year
Bean said one reason to wait is that a lot of work has been done to schedule a series of Zoom budget hearings.
The only day the public has input during the budget meetings is at the public hearing, which has been scheduled for June 10. Bean said it will be convenient for them to Zoom in from their homes.
“It’s very convenient to do meetings via Zoom – we’ve gotten used to that, but we need to get back to some sense of normalcy. Right now, we have a number of Finance Committee meetings that we’ve worked out with Pete Cowles and Lenore Bernashe.”
Bean said there are still several people on the council that need to be vaccinated. “I’d like to give as much time as possible to get everyone vaccinated,” he said.
Bean said, although he would have liked to return in person three months ago. “My job is not to make anyone anxious, including the public,” he noted.
“I will remind residents that they should be reaching out to councilors expressing concerns or if they have comments,” Bean said, adding, “I urge residents to reach out to councilors especially during the budget process."
Westfield City Hall opened to the public last month.
State Sen. John C. Velis said reopening conversations are happening at the State House as well as municipalities.
“There are currently discussions happening within leadership about when and how the Statehouse will reopen. We're mostly still participating in sessions remotely, though I have gone in for some bills that I've been involved in,” he said.
Velis who was Westfield’s state representative when COVID-19 hit the United States, was elected senator in a special election during the pandemic and has not had a “normal” experience on Beacon Hill yet.
“I am personally really looking forward to opening in a safe manner sooner rather than later,” he said. “Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and all our virtual programs have been incredible the past year and will undoubtedly stay around, but I strongly believe government works better in person.
“So much of politics and elected office is about being in the building and building relationships to get things done. In my experience as state representative, being at the Statehouse in-person is the best way to advocate for my district and those I represent."
Hope E. Tremblay and Amy Porter contributed to this story.