Agenda Item Request
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Amend the “County of Cumberland Remote Participation Policy,” adopted pursuant to Title 1 M.R.S.A. § 403-B, by adopting the proposed “2026 County of Cumberland Remote Meetings Policy.”
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Background and Purpose of Request
When Maine’s Freedom of Access Act was amended to allow remote meetings during the COVID 19 pandemic, the Board of Commissioners adopted a remote participation policy based on the law’s requirements at that time. Since then, the law (1 M.R.S.A. § 403-B) has been amended multiple times, including changes to the Commissioner’s authority to apply its remote meeting policy to other county boards (PL 2021, ch. 666 and PL 2023, ch. 158) and to allow the public to record public proceedings when attending by remote methods (PL 2023, ch. 185).
Staff recommends adopting the proposed “2026 County of Cumberland Remote Meetings Policy”, which would have the effect of replacing and updating the County’s existing policy, in order to address the new requirements in the law and clarify the authority of other County boards to use remote methods during public proceedings under the Commissioner’s policy.
Funding Amount and Source
N/A
Effective Date
Immediately.
Attachments
• Proposed “2026 County of Cumberland Remote Meetings Policy.”