I thank the town of Rumford and its Board of Selectpersons for making a Zoom call-in available for the Aug. 11 meeting. Mask-wearing and social distancing are necessary for me as I am 70 years old and have a number of medical high-risk factors, as do many other citizens. Masks are not currently required to attend in person and selectpersons in attendance, for the most part, do not wear them, either.

During this COVID-19 period, it is crucial that towns in general offer call-in capability for all public meetings in order to give all citizens the ability to participate in the local governing process. I urge the town and selectpersons to make call-in capability a standard access for all meetings that are open to the public.

Rumford covers a large geographic area and it is a burden for many citizens to attend in person for varying reasons. Several board members were also not in attendance, due to being either out of town and or on vacation. Establishing a permanent Zoom-type of call-in would make participation available to board members who could not attend due to travel or illness and improve the effectiveness of the board and also stimulate citizen participation.

Thanks again and let’s get the bugs worked out and establish this as a permanent capability.

John Preble, Rumford

Editor’s note: Maine’s Freedom of Access Act does not permit government bodies to meet by phone; that process has been allowed during the pandemic only under the governor’s executive order setting out guidelines for public meetings.