Can You Hear Me Now?

Amilcar Shabazz remotely peering over Maria Geryk's shoulder

The Amherst Regional School Committee is starting to get it when it comes to all things digital. 

Last month they voted unanimously to allow legal notice of meetings with agendas to be posted to the district website rather than the clunky physically post by hand in all four towns. 

And last night the RSC also voted unanimously to allow "remote participation" so lame duck member Amilcar Shabazz could participate and vote in the surprisingly newsworthy meeting. 

Like the posting to the website, it is a blanket vote that will allow any member to use remote participation from now on as long as they give the Chair some advance notice.

Surprisingly for a town dominated by committees, boards, and working groups, remote participation has not been used.  These days Skype, Facetime , or Google+ Hangout is just as good as being there.  Well, almost.

The Jones Library Trustees did use it once, sort of, for Carol Gray four years ago when she was in Egypt.  But it was prior to the Attorney General ruling it okay, so she was not allowed to participate in the meeting or vote, just observe.