Medfield's 1st Outdoor Social Distancing Town Meeting!

2020 Medfield Annual Town Meeting

This was a Town Meeting like no other in Medfield history!

On this Saturday in late June at 11:00am with temps in the 80's, registered voters wearing face masks gathered on the Medfield High School turf field and sat in chairs strategically placed 6' apart.

Recently the Board of Selectmen voted to approve a reduction in the quorum for this meeting from 250 to 25, however, 144 registered voters turned out to attend this meeting originally scheduled for the first Monday in May but moved to this date and this location due to the current COVID-19 restrictions.

Town Moderator, Scott McDermott stood at the podium placed directly in front of the sports Press Box and bleachers with 7 desks to his left with members of the Warrant Committee sitting socially distant from one another.

On McDermott's left were 8 desks also placed 6' apart. Sitting closest to McDermott was Interim Town Clerk, Jim Mullen followed by Administrative Assistant Evelyn Clarke, Assistant Town Administrator Nick Milano, Town Administrator Kristine Trierweiler, Selectmen Osler "Pete" Peterson, Mike Marcucci and Gus Murby, and Town Counsel, Mark Cerel.

Town Moderator McDermott opened Town Meeting with these remarks. “Thank you for being here and participating as a member in Medfield’s legislative body. Today we meet to make local law and policies, and to determine budgets. Our amazing heritage of town meetings and democratic self government extends back to 1651 – for 369 consecutive years – and today we demonstrate the resiliency of Medfield and act to provide the continuity which connects the past to our future.”

Considering the circumstances, McDermott promised to do his best to move the meeting along but he was steadfast with the protocol of this year's Open Town Meeting which he calls, "the purest form of self government". In addition to his opening remarks, McDermott read the names of the following Medfield individuals with strong civic connections who passed away since last year's Town Meeting and he spoke fondly about each followed by a moment of silence.

~ Daniel (Dan) Bibel~ Anthony (Tony) Calo ~ Elizabeth (Betty) Hinkley ~ Barbara Leighton ~ John Panciocco ~ Ralph Parmigiane ~ Charlotte Reinemann ~ Alice Wheeler ~ Burgess (Mike) Standley ~ Philip (Phil) Burr ~ Dorothy (Dot) Russo ~

16 Articles were addressed, and each Article passed without much discussion.

The meeting took approximately 2 hours and thankfully the temperature lessened when clouds rolled in making the location more comfortable.

After the final vote, McDermott requested that past Selectman and long time Medfield resident, John Harney do the honor of making the "Motion to Adjourn" and he obliged.

History has been made!