Showing posts with label emergency order. Show all posts
Showing posts with label emergency order. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 16, 2021

Joint Statement on Conference Report Filing

Statement from Senate President Karen E. Spilka, House Speaker Ronald Mariano,  Senate Ways and Means Chairman Michael Rodrigues and House Ways and Means Chairman Aaron Michlewitz 

"Today (6/15/21), the House and Senate agreed to report out a conference committee bill, in-part, that temporarily extends and reinstates a slate of measures instituted in Massachusetts during the COVID-19 State of Emergency. 

This partial report addresses issues common to both the Senate and House bills and is necessary to ensure that critical policies - including those relating to municipalities' meetings, restaurants, tenants facing eviction, health care and child care - are available as expeditiously as possible.

These temporary provisions have been helpful to businesses, municipalities, health care providers, residents and communities during this extraordinary time. We will continue working together to resolve items in the near-term that were not included in today's Conference report, which deserve further consideration.

We look forward to the Governor's prompt review of this report."

Conference Committee Report: https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/S2475

From the Boston Globe:

State lawmakers on Tuesday night struck a deal and shipped Governor Charlie Baker legislation to restore the lapsed authorization for remote public meetings, to-go cocktail sales, and town meeting flexibilities, while leaving the future of other pandemic-era policy adaptations for later negotiations.

Baker’s COVID-19 state of emergency ended at 12:01 a.m., Tuesday, without a law passed to prevent the expiration of certain orders and legislation linked to the declaration.

After the Senate passed a post-emergency bill last week, the House approved an amended version on a 146-14 vote Tuesday afternoon, and both branches held their sessions open for the rest of the day to work out a deal.

Continue reading the article online (subscription maybe required)
 

So the COVID-19 emergency order expired, what do we do for public meetings in the interim?

"The State of Emergency has ended, and the March 12, 2020, Executive Order Suspending Certain Provisions of the Open Meeting Law, which has allowed public bodies to meet remotely and to provide the public with “adequate alternative access” to meetings, terminated at 12:01 this morning. 
The Legislature is actively considering bills that would extend most or all of the provisions from the Executive Order regarding remote meetings. Unless and until such legislation is enacted, public bodies must hold meetings with at least a quorum of the public body members physically present at a meeting location which is open and accessible to the public. 
The Attorney General encourages public bodies to also provide the public with an option to view meetings remotely. Public bodies are reminded that notice of all meetings must be posted at least 48 hours in advance, not including weekends and holidays, and the meeting notice must clearly specify the location where the public may access the meeting."
For more on the open meeting law and updates:  https://www.mass.gov/the-open-meeting-law

Monday, June 14, 2021

FM #562 - Board of Health Mtg - 06/09/21 (audio)

FM #562 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 562 in the series. 


This session of the radio show shares the Board of Health meeting held on Wednesday, June 9, 2021.


The meeting was conducted in person at the Municipal Bldg third floor training room. There was also a Zoom session for remote participation and no one did. This was the first in person meeting since Feb 2020.


Links to the meeting agenda and associated documents are included in the show notes. The recording runs about 31 minutes, so let’s listen to the Board of Health meeting for June.  Audio file -> https://player.captivate.fm/episode/f82d62b7-9494-48db-9871-3c5cac165c7e



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Board of Health agenda -> https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/agendas/agenda-06-09-2021_0.pdf


My notes captured from the meeting 

  • Live reporting for Board of Health meeting underway #boh0609

  • Cathleen provides update on work for new podcast The Topic, to explore a variety of health issues #boh0609

  • Lots of ideas coming for the new podcast, BoH loves the concept #BoH0609

  • Discussion on emergency condemnation, slow process but underway. #BoH0609 VNA contract ending Jun 30, hiring a nurse is underway.

  • There is progress on the 27 Winter St property, as well as Jordan Road property. #BoH0609

  • (I neglected to close out the meeting when it adjourned. Had some in person conversations to distract me from the process.)


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We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial.  


This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.

 

How can you help?

  • If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors

  • If you don't like something here, please let me know


Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.


For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/ or www.franklin.news/


If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com


The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana"  c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.


I hope you enjoy!

------------------


You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

 

screengrab of a prior virtual Board of Health mtg
screengrab of a prior virtual Board of Health mtg

Sunday, May 3, 2020

FM #259 Board of Health: C Liberty, B Sweet 4/29/20 (audio)

FM #259 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 259 in the series.

This session of the radio show shares my conversation with Board of Health Chair Bridget Sweet and Health Director Cathleen Liberty on April 29, 2020. We had our conversation via virtual conference bridge to adhere to the ‘social distancing’ requirements of this pandemic period.

We discussed the recent Board of Health meeting, the new Emergency Order on facial coverings, the feedback that led to this step, additional feedback will be monitored at the next meeting for possible revision to take a further step if necessary.

We discuss the hierarchy of the MA health departments and how it has been brought to the frontlines with this pandemic. The relationship of the Executive Order by Governor Baker, the Department of Public Health that sets regulations for all MA communities and our local Board of Health that has the ground level responsibility.

The recording runs about 36 minutes, so let’s listen to my conversation with Cathleen and Bridget. Audio file - https://www.hipcast.com/podcast/Hs9FtKk7




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Note: on Friday, May 1, Gov Baker issued an executive order effective May 6, 2020 that will supercede the Franklin order and render moot the discussion on further extensions. The conversation on the rationale and CDC guidelines is still very much relative as we live in this 'new normal'
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/05/gov-bakers-executive-order-has-extended.html

April 27 Board of Health Emergency Order
https://www.franklinma.gov/health-department/news/board-health-emergency-order

Attorney General Office guidance referenced
https://www.mass.gov/news/ag-healey-issues-guidance-on-disability-rights-during-covid-19-pandemic

Health Dept page  https://www.franklinma.gov/health-department
Board of Health page  https://www.franklinma.gov/health-department

Franklin Portal page
https://www.franklinma.gov/home/pages/important-links-and-best-practices

Portal page on “Best Practices”
https://www.franklinma.gov/home/pages/important-links-and-best-practices

Prior podcasts with Cathleen
March 27 https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/03/fm-232-franklin-ma-health-director.html
March 13 https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/03/fm-224-health-director-cathleen-liberty.html
January 28 https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/01/fm-196-cathleen-liberty-franklins.html



We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm).

This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.

How can you help?
  • If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors
  • If you don't like something here, please let me know

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/
If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana" c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

------------------

You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"


FM #259 Board of Health: C Liberty, B Sweet 4/29/20 (audio)
FM #259 Board of Health: C Liberty, B Sweet 4/29/20 (audio)



Friday, May 1, 2020

FM #256 Board of Health Meeting 4/27/20 (audio)

FM #256 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 256 in the series.

This session of the radio show shares the Board of Health Meeting held April 27, 2020 via virtual conference bridge to adhere to the ‘social distancing’ requirements of this pandemic period.

The show notes provide links to the agenda, my notes taken during the meeting, and the resulting Emergency Order which was approved during the meeting and then published the next day.

The recording runs about 55 minutes, so let’s listen to the Board of Health Meeting held April 27  https://www.hipcast.com/podcast/HXmf1Q47




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My meeting notes
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/04/board-of-health-approves-mandate-for.html

The text of the Emergency Order
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/04/emergency-order-face-covering-over.html

The agenda doc for this meeting
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/04/franklin-ma-board-of-health-agenda.html


We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm).

This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.

How can you help?
  • If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors
  • If you don't like something here, please let me know

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/
If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana" c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

------------------

You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

FM #256 Board of Health Meeting 4/27/20 (audio)
FM #256 Board of Health Meeting 4/27/20 (audio)