By Executive Order 9L, Governor Ned Lamont today extended the existing 79 Executive Orders to February 9, 2021. Note that if an existing executive order contains a specific unexpired deadline, the existing deadline remains in effect and is not changed by today’s executive order. For example, the January 1, 2021 expiration of the eviction order, EO 9E Section 1, has not been changed by this new order. Today’s order also states that any municipal order, rule, regulation, directive or guidance by an official, agency or department that states that it will remain in place for the duration of the public health emergency shall remain in effect until February 9, 2021. The orders that are being extended include, among others, Executive Order 7I which sets out a significant number of provisions applicable to land use agency proceedings, as well as several Executive Orders which allow municipal boards to take certain urgent financial and non-financial actions in lieu of requiring town meeting approval if various criteria are satisfied.
Note also that Executive Order 9H which was previously issued on October 20, 2020 extends the authority of towns to conduct meetings remotely and also adds some provisions relative to conducting “hybrid” meetings. Among these requirements are allowing in-person attendance of the public and the press in case of “hybrid” meetings and permitting members of municipal agencies to participate remotely if they request to do so. That executive order also contemplates the potential for remote participation in town meetings. Depending on the nature of the issue, the size of the anticipated attendance, and the technologies available to a particular municipality, that may or may not be a viable alternative.
Please contact a member of our municipal group if you have any questions.