By Jim Newell

Review Editor

Barring any changes in COVID-19 orders from the state, the Orion Township Board of Trustees plans to hold its first in-person meeting on April 5, its first such meeting since Nov. 16, 2020.

Clerk Penny Shults said she is looking forward to the township board meeting in person but wants residents to know that the township will still offer remote participation as well

Township board meetings, beginning with the April 5 meeting, will again be at the Orion Center, Shults said.

Under a Michigan Department of Health and Human Services March 5 Gatherings and Face Mask Order, government bodies in Michigan could begin meeting in person in March but must adhere to a strict 25-person attendance at the meetings.

This 25-person attendance limit will still be in effect when boards meet in April.

Shults said after consulting with the township’s attorney, it was recommended that if more than 25 people show up in person for a meeting that the board end the meeting.

Residents cannot be excluded from a public meeting, and the government must find a way to accommodate them, Shults said.

However, since the township board meets at the Orion Center, they do have the space to social distance and provide an overflow area if the 25-person capacity is reached, Shults said.

The overflow area will have some form of communication so that people in the overflow can interact with the board and ask questions.

“It is the public’s right to comment and participate in the meeting,” Shults said.

The township board held several in-person meetings in 2020 until state health guidelines dictated that they only meet remotely.

While meeting in person, the board did employ a hybrid model – allowing residents to participate in-person and online.

“We will again have the opportunity for people to meet hybrid,” Shults said.

While holding virtual meetings presents a challenge for governments, Orion Township broadcasts its virtual meetings on GoToMeeting and on Orion Neighborhood Television.

Both methods will still be available when the board begins meeting in person.

“We worked really hard as a township to make sure everything was transparent,” Shults said.

Whether people attend board meetings in-person or from home, Shults encourages residents to make their voices heard.

“We need the input from the community. Public participation is definitely encouraged,” Shults said.

To access Orion Township board meetings through GoToMeeting, go to oriontownship.org and look under board agendas. Links to the GoToMeeting app are in the board agenda.

Village of Lake Orion

The Lake Orion Village Council declared a local state of emergency during its meeting on March 22, allowing the village council to continue to hold its meetings virtually through June 30.

However, the council chose to use a hybrid model, said village Manager Joe Young.

Young said the council will allow in-person attendance at its meetings – the first being the April 12 meeting – but will also continue to provide a virtual interactive option, allowing residents to participate in public comments from home, and a small overflow area.

Go to lakeorion.org for agendas and meeting information.

Lake Orion Community Schools

The Lake Orion Community Schools Board of Education met in person on March 10 and March 24.

Go to lakeorionschools.org for agendas and meeting information.