Two New Hampshire towns that have had to reschedule their Town Meetings to July 11 because of the COVID-19 pandemic are planning to hold them outside under tents.
Plainfield will hold its Town Meeting at 10 a.m. that day under two tents set up at the William A. Smith Inc. auction gallery on Route 12A in Plainfield Village, according to Town Moderator Paul Franklin.
“To address COVID-19 concerns and provide as safe a meeting venue as possible” attendees are asked to wear face masks and allow for social distancing in their seating, Franklin and the Selectboard said in a letter to Plainfield residents.
Additionally, “meeting procedures will be expedited to reduce overall meeting time,” the letter said.
Town officials have agreed to amend a request to build a new library building in Meriden to zero dollars, putting off any substantive discussion until at least 2021, the letter said.
In addition, the Selectboard said it will amend the town’s budget request to “reflect current conditions” and bring the projected tax rate to less than the 2019 level of $26 per $1,000 of valuation.
Meanwhile, Enfield officials said the business portion of its 2020 Town Meeting will be held at 8 a.m. on July 11 at Huse Park on Route 4 under a large tent to allow for social distancing.
Attendees in Enfield also are asked to wear a mask, and those who opt not to will be required to sit in a designated area, according to a notice from the town.
People who wish to drive to the park and remain in their vehicles can listen to the proceedings through their radio.
Franklin said via email that this won’t be Plainfield’s first outdoor Town Meeting.
Town records indicate that a Town Meeting was held in June 1852 at the site of Plainfield’s “poor farm,” now part of the Yatsevich Forest, according to the moderator.