The Goshen ERB concluded its Jan. 14 meeting by discussing a pilot to expand public participation without incurring large streaming costs. Speaker 1 said a full Zoom/webcast solution was estimated at roughly $25,000, which the town would not fund, but a resident or volunteer offered a donated tablet the board could use to collect emailed questions or comments.

Members discussed low‑tech and moderated options: a dedicated email account (proposed GoshenERB@gmail.com) tied to the tablet; a phone‑in line or a limited Facebook Live session; and a process to open remote comments at the end of meetings or per agenda item. Speaker 6 suggested requiring town‑board approval for any formal change in practice and recommended limiting call‑in windows to preserve meeting length. Speaker 1 said the ERB would pilot the approach, moderate out vulgar or personally abusive content and revise procedures if it proves unwieldy.

Next steps: ERB staff to set up a simple email account, test a donated tablet for meeting use, present a short procedure for handling emailed comments and recommended time windows at the next meeting, and seek town‑board approval if necessary.