Sheffield: What You Need to Know About Annual Town Meeting

The Select Board wishes is providing a last minute update on Sheffield’s Annual Town Meeting (ATM) which will take place at 7:00 pm, Monday Jun. 29, at the Mt. Everett High School auditorium and nearby rooms.

The Select Board appreciates the concerns brought to their attention and while they have sought to have this ATM be safe for everyone, they understand those making a decision not to attend due to health concerns.

Voters will enter the school through the usual entrance to the auditorium. The Select Board feels this will make it easier for all. The Police Department will be on hand to direct you.

Please remember voters are required to practice social distancing and wear a mask, unless unable to do so for health reasons. Blue tape marks will be on the floor to help you keep six feet apart while checking in, and later queuing at the microphone for comments. Signage will be posted to help navigate the process. The Select Board does not know how long check in will take, so they do encourage you to come earlier than usual. Check in will be available beginning at 5:30 pm. The Select Board wants you to consider bringing something to read as socializing is not encouraged. Those arriving at 6:50 pm may miss the voting on the first warrant articles.

Once checked in, voters will be ushered to their seats by town Fire Fighters. Those who live together may sit together if they check in at the same time. Groups and individuals will be separated a safe distance from each other – six feet or more. You will be handed your ATM packet, so you do not have to pick it up. After the auditorium has been filled following safe seating protocols, voters will be seated in the school gym. The town has set aside the library for use as needed. Pocketalkers, individual hearing assistance devices, will be available at a separate table during check-in.

Voting this year will be by individual electronic devices that record each person's vote quickly and secretly. The Town Moderator will go over meeting protocols when the meeting starts, as well as a practice session to have voters become comfortable using their voting devices. At the end of the meeting, the Fire Fighters will escort everyone out at a safe distance from each other, row by row, and there will be boxes to return the voting devices and Pocketalkers.

No absentee or mail-in ballots are available for an Annual Town Meeting. The meeting will be broadcast live on CTSB.

You can view the Sheffield Annual Town Meeting Warrant by going here.

(press release sent to WSBS from The Town of Sheffield for online and on air use)