The Norwich Historic District Commission on its October meeting discussed meeting format for 2026 and whether to continue hybrid (Zoom/in-person) meetings. Chair Regan Minor said she will consult the city manager about available Zoom accounts and scheduling conflicts, and report back to the commission. Commissioners generally favored keeping the third-Wednesday 5:30 p.m. meeting time and expressed support for hybrid access to preserve applicant accessibility.

Why it matters: The commission routinely hosts public hearings that involve applicants who may not be local or who cannot attend in person; access to remote participation affects fairness and the number of applicants who come forward to apply rather than work without permits.

Hybrid meeting discussion

Chair Regan Minor said she had received unclear direction from the city about Zoom and hybrid meetings and would "go to the top" to clarify. (Chair quote: "I will certainly have that conversation with the city and report back to you guys.") Commissioners described past problems with double-booked city Zoom accounts and asked the chair to seek clarity on whether the city will provide a dedicated Zoom account or require other arrangements. Opinion among commissioners varied: one member said he preferred either fully virtual or fully in-person meetings to avoid double-booking confusion; others supported continuing hybrid meetings for accessibility to applicants.

Expedited roof repair request (time-sensitive)

A property owner requested an expedited COA because the roof was actively leaking and the applicant had missed the normal submission deadline. The applicant asked whether the commission could provide a verbal approval to proceed immediately and then file a COA for the next meeting. Chair Minor agreed to provide a verbal okay on the condition the applicant supply timestamped photos and staff or a commissioner can inspect the work; the chair said she would verify the proposed materials (architectural asphalt shingles and a rubber membrane on a flat roof) and follow up. (Chair quote: "I will give them that verbal okay as long as we can go inspect and make sure that they're doing what they said and that they'll submit a COA.")

Decisions and next steps

- Chair will meet with the city manager within the next month and report back to the commission about Zoom account availability and policy.
- The commission will keep the meeting day/time (third Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.) for 2026 unless the city directs otherwise.
- The chair granted a conditional verbal OK to an expedited roof replacement at the referenced address provided inspectors can confirm material samples and receive time-stamped photos; a formal COA application will follow.

Provenance

- Hybrid discussion starts: "Catherine had brought to my attention that the city now is requesting our meeting schedule for 2026..." (tc:00:27:39)
- Hybrid discussion topfinish: Chair commits to consult city manager and report back (tc:00:36:40)
- Expedited roof request topicintro: "We were contacted by... for a roof replacement... the roof is actively leaking... could we just get your verbal okay and move forward and still submit an application for the next meeting?" (tc:00:38:16)
- Expedited roof request topfinish: Chair: "I will give them that verbal okay as long as we can go inspect and make sure that they're doing what they said and that they'll submit a COA." (tc:00:43:24)

Speakers

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