By Carol Britton Meyer

The select board this week adopted revisions to a handbook for appointed committees and confirmed the town’s policy of holding meetings either in person or fully remote, but not in a hybrid format.

The Town of Hull Select Board Committee Handbook – adopted by the board last month pending review by town counsel – is designed to provide guidance to both new and current members of select board-appointed committees, councils, and commissions in understanding their roles and responsibilities. The board made additional edits at its meeting Wednesday.

“This is really a guidance document,” Town Manager Jennifer Constable said.

After consulting with town counsel about some of the wording in the handbook, Constable will incorporate this week’s edits and send the final copy to the board. The document will be posted on the town’s website.

The foreword of this guide tells these volunteers that their “dedication and service are vital to the effective governance of [the] community.”

It also provides an overview of procedures, legal requirements, and best practices to ensure that the local government operates “transparently, ethically, and efficiently.”

Contents include the structure of Hull’s government, how to become a committee member, oaths and term of office, vacancies and attendance, organization of committees and duties of officers, adoption of rules and regulations, select board liaisons, a section about meetings that includes information about the Open Meeting Law, conduct of committees and public officials, legal resources, communication and public relations, training and development, use of town resources, and the annual report that committees are expected to submit summarizing their activities, accomplishments, and recommendations to the select board.

Each section contains detailed information related to that particular topic.

In other business…

• Board member Jerry Taverna mentioned the number of citizens who are requesting hybrid Hull Redevelopment Authority meetings for those who cannot attend in-person meetings now that the board has decided to alternate between the in-person and Zoom formats. The HRA held mostly Zoom meetings until recently.

Board member Greg Grey noted that “this is an HRA issue.”

The town “has not adopted a hybrid policy,” Constable said in response to Taverna’s comments. “We don’t have the capacity to do that, and it comes at a cost. [Offering hybrid meetings] comes with a large host of questions and considerations.”

Chair Irwin Nesoff noted that if the hybrid meeting format is used by one board or committee, the same option must also be offered to them all.

“We don’t have that capacity, and we don’t have the technology [to offer] two or three hybrid meetings at the same time,” he said.

While stating that some “good points” were made, Taverna said, “We need to [talk about this] more… I think the public is interested in discussing this with the town.”

Nesoff noted that it’s “easier to do a meeting all on Zoom. Hybrid is different.”

• The board approved the renewal of several licenses and livery badges: Nantasket Beach Salt Water Club – all alcohol; common victualer, and entertainment; The Village Market – all alcohol as a package store; Bermaken Hotel and The Nantascot Lodging House – lodging house licenses; Seaside Transport – livery license for 2021 Toyota Sienna and livery badge (Michael Ashe); Seaside Transport – livery badge (Tara Ashe).

At the end of the meeting, the board entered into executive session to discuss strategy with respect to the potential purchase, exchange, lease or value of real estate, related to Beach Food Market and Steamboat Wharf Marina. Both business operators have leases on town-owned property.

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