Virtual meetings

During this time of closed businesses and social distancing we have had to adjust to conducting our regular business in creative ways. Weston County School District No. 1 was the first local board to utilize Zoom to hold their virtual meeting and the News Letter Journal couldn’t have been more pleased with the results. 
The platform was used by the school district in an effort to keep the number of individuals in the board room to a minimum but still provide an avenue for others to listen and provide feedback. The following evening, local first responders used the same platform to discuss the local COVID-19 situation. Per Gov. Mark Gordon’s website, social distancing requirements recommend that all meetings be held virtually to provide for the safest
meetings possible.
Weston County Clerk Becky Hadlock
confirmed that the Weston County Commisisoners will also adopt a phone
conference meeting set up for the time being.
We can not applaud these entities enough for adjusting during this unprecedented time and want to encourage other boards to consider this route when planning their next meeting. 
During this crisis some local entities are continuing business as usual, like the Newcastle City Council, whose next meeting is April 6. We would like to see them consider the virtual platform for their next meeting.
We also feel that this avenue could be used throughout the year, not just during emergencies, to provide another avenue for the community to attend and participate in meetings. All too often we hear of people who can not attend the meetings or don’t know when they are happening, using a virtual platform would provide the
opportunity for people to be active in their local government from the comfort of their homes, on the road or wherever else life might find them. 
Now more than ever it is important for the people within our community to stick together and be aware of what the local
entities are up to, as information and
situations change daily. 
While Weston County is yet to have their first confirmed case of COVID-19, emergency responders and local health officials say it is only a matter of time before it happens and that the pandemic is predicted to impact our lives locally for weeks
to come. 
Like we said last week, this crisis will impact us but we are confident it will not define us. This community must continue to stick together, support our local businesses, encourage the learning of the youth in a not so traditional manner and ensure that our local government still makes Weston County their priority. 
While things might be different, business for many industries and entities must continue as normal and we applaud those who have continued to do what they need to do while making it convenient for the public and the press to stay involved. 
Please continue to follow the News Letter Journal website and Facebook page for announcements and important updates from across the state.