On October 20, 2020, Governor Lamont issued Executive Order 9H. The portion of the Executive Order that addresses remote participation in municipal meetings appears below.
The complete Executive Order is available here.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, NED LAMONT, Governor of the State of Connecticut, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the State of Connecticut, and pursuant to the public health and civil preparedness emergencies declared on March 10, 2020 and renewed on September 1, 2020 and the new public health and civil preparedness emergencies declared on September 1, 2020, do hereby ORDER AND DIRECT:
1. Remote Participation in Municipal Meetings. Notwithstanding any provision of the Connecticut General Statutes, Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, or any ordinance, charter, bylaws or other rule:
a. Any municipal (as defined in Section 12 of Executive Order No. 7I) agency, board, commission, council or local legislative body, and, in a municipality where the legislative body is a town meeting, the board of selectmen, may hold a public meeting or hearing that provides for remote participation in its entirety, or for remote participation in conjunction with an in-person meeting, which shall be referred to herein as a “hybrid meeting.” Remote participation shall include the opportunity to offer public comment, if otherwise generally permitted at such meetings, and the ability of electors or qualified voters to vote, if eligible pursuant to state statute, municipal charter, or other applicable legal authority, at any meeting, annual town meeting or special town meeting. Officials conducting hybrid meetings shall make provisions to allow at least some members of the public and press to attend in the same location as the officials conducting the meeting in a manner consistent with public health guidance for limiting the transmission of COVID-19. Municipal bodies conducting in-person or hybrid meetings shall consult with and take steps recommended by local or state public health officials to conduct such meetings in a manner that significantly reduces the risk of transmission of COVID-19. Remote and hybrid meetings shall proceed in a manner as closely consistent with the applicable statutes, special acts, town charters, municipal ordinances, resolutions or procedures as possible, and in compliance with the open meeting provisions set forth in the Freedom of Information Act, as modified by Executive Order No. 7B.
b. No member of any municipal agency, board, commission, council or local legislative body shall be denied the opportunity to participate and vote in any meeting or proceeding using remote technology if such member requests to do so, and a member of any such body may request to participate remotely in all meetings for the duration of the public health and civil preparedness emergency, and shall not be required to file an individual request for each meeting.