NORWAY — The Norway municipal budget as presented and recommended by the Budget Committee and Select Board is $51,569 less, or 1.44%, than last year’s approved budget.
Norway’s annual Town Meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on July 20 at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School.
Municipalities were given guidance in the Governor’s Executive Order 56 on conducting Town Meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the town. The goal of the guidance is to protect meeting participants, workers and the local community from COVID-19 infection.
Town Manager Dennis Lajoie said in a statement that he expects attendance to exceed the state’s indoor limits.
“Historically, the annual Town Meeting attendance has exceeded 50 individuals, which includes voters, non-voters, staff, select board and the moderator,” he said. “We have to assume that for this Town Meeting we will exceed the indoor limit of 50 individuals, however, Executive Order 56 has an option to use multiple rooms within one facility to conduct the Town Meeting.”
Lajoie said the high school has multiple rooms that can be used, as long as each room will have less than 50 individuals, and 6-feet social distancing is observed. He said they will ensure technology is in place so voters in all rooms can hear the discussions, motions and voting in real time.
Instructions for attendees on election night:
• The entrance to the High School will be on the cafeteria side of the building. Parking will be separated by traffic cones (every other space).
• 6 feet separation markings as attendees enter the building to register to vote will be required. (Family members in the same household can stand together and sit together.)
• The auditorium will be used as the main hub (Select Board, Town Manager and Moderator will be on the stage).
• Staff/volunteers will help with seating.
• Once the 50 individual maximum is reached in the auditorium, the Forum will be used.
• Staff will be placed outside the Forum to register voters and assist with seating.
• A third room will be available if capacity exceeds 50 in each of the first two spaces.
• Because participants will be in an indoor space for a prolonged period of time, face coverings are strongly recommended at all times.
• Hand sanitizing stations will be available in each meeting room at the entrance and exit.
• At the conclusion of the Town Meeting, attendees are asked maintain 6 feet social distancing and avoid gathering in groups.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.