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Concord committee plans public forum and examines hybrid logistics, accessibility and shorter-meeting options
Summary
Committee members weighed hybrid vs in-person forum formats for an October public forum, discussed breakout logistics and Minute Man Media coverage, and reviewed accessibility recommendations; the group also debated options to shorten Town Meeting and use marquee/consent calendar approaches.
At its Sept. 30 meeting, the Town Meeting Study Committee spent substantial time planning public outreach and a pair of forums to solicit resident views on Town Meeting reform. Chair Eric Moore presented a focus-group model for the October forum — short introductory remarks followed by small breakout groups (7–10 people) facilitated by committee volunteers — and the committee debated whether to run a hybrid in-person/Zoom model simultaneously or hold separate in-person and online sessions.
Members raised practical concerns about hybrid breakout logistics and Minute Man Media coverage. Carmen Reese and others suggested recruiting volunteer facilitators (for example from the League of Women Voters) to staff online breakout rooms if the forum runs simultaneously; committee members agreed that the opening and plenary portions should be accessible remotely even if breakout parity cannot be fully achieved.
Accessibility issues were highlighted by Alice Kaufman, who summarized a meeting with Jean Goldsberry from the Commission on Disabilities and Minute Men Arc. She identified straightforward fixes — including offering large-print documents and addressing poor acoustics in the hearing room — that could improve participation for people with disabilities without substantial expense.
On the topic of shortening Town Meeting, members discussed two related goals: enabling attendees to 'budget' time by surfacing marquee/high-interest items (for example school budget and capital projects) and expanding a consent calendar to move noncontroversial items quickly. Members noted these approaches have been tried in Concord and other towns for decades and emphasized the moderator’s discretion and cultural factors that affect effectiveness. Some members argued for one-day town meeting formats; others said people who do not attend are still making a choice about participation.
Next steps: the committee will finalize forum logistics and facilitator roles before the October event, circulate printed copies of the survey at community outlets (COA, town office), and invite moderators (including Eric Van Loon and Carmen Reese) to present at the Oct. 15 meeting on moderator practices and consent calendar expansion.
