Wicked Local
As the number of COVID-19 cases continues to drop in Billerica and around the state, local officials begin to move town boards and committees back to in-person meetings, but for some board members, the concern is the possible rollback of accountability.
In March 2020, Gov. Charlie Baker enacted emergency orders allowing municipal bodies to conduct public meetings remotely amid the COVID-19 pandemic. With continuing progress on vaccine distribution in the state, Baker announced Monday those orders would be lifted on Tuesday, June 15.
This move by the Baker Administration threw a small wrench into municipal meetings like the Billerica Memorial High School Building Committee, which had to reschedule their Tuesday meeting due to the lift. The virtual nature of the meeting technically would have violated Open Meetings laws.