PLYMOUTH, Vt. – Plymouth’s annual town meeting has been rescheduled approximately six weeks later than originally planned as a result of delays in receiving and getting out the annual town report.
The rescheduled meeting will now take place Monday, April 12 at 7 p.m. both via Zoom and with limited seating at the Plymouth Town Hall. According to Plymouth Town Clerk Sandi Small, there is seating available for 20 Plymouth residents in case they do not have access to a computer or reliable internet service. Registration in advance for those seats is strongly encouraged. Town officials will be abiding by all Covid-19 health protocols including appropriate distancing in the Town Hall.
The April 12 meeting is informational only, with no voting being allowed on the floor – a change made for this year only. Historically, the articles, other than the town officers, are voted on the floor. Officers are voted by Australian ballot on the following day. This year, all articles will be voted by Australian ballot Tuesday, April 13.
Originally scheduled for Monday, March 1, Small needed to delay the meeting once she learned they would not get the town report back in time from the printer to have it in the hands of voters 10 days prior to voting, as required by state statute. Once she knew they would miss that window, the decision was made to reschedule with enough time to get the word out to voters with the date change.
Some confusion on the meeting change did impact the vote on the Windsor Central Supervisory Union school budget, which took place as originally scheduled Tuesday, March 2. With registered voters numbering over 400, only 40 voters turned out for the vote, though turnout usually spans from 100 to 200 citizens. Small was unsure whether that was only because of confusion over the town meeting being rescheduled, or if concerns about Covid-19 may have been a factor as well.
All instructions for the Zoom meeting are available on the Plymouth town website on the bulletin board. If any residents would like an absentee ballot, contact the town office and one will be mailed out. Copies of the town’s annual report are also available at the town office.
Small expects that next year, barring any pandemic complications, town meeting will return to Plymouth’s typical format.
Until then, Small and Assistant Town Clerk Elaine Pauley are making the best of it. “It’s just another thing that’s happened this year. We’re dealing with it. That what we do. That’s our job,” she said.