Towns start signing emergency declarations, closing facilities
Towns across the region started signing declarations of emergency this week and closing town facilities to the public, among other precautions in response to COVID-19.
East Lyme, Groton, Ledyard, Old Lyme and Montville, were among the towns that signed emergency declarations in a move that local officials said would empower them in responding to emergencies and put them in a better situation to receive emergency federal reimbursement, should they need it.
Other towns also took steps to limit public access to municipal buildings and avoid large gatherings.
Montville signed an emergency declaration Tuesday, and Mayor Ronald McDaniel announced Town Hall would close to the public starting Wednesday, while staff continue to work.
East Lyme and Old Lyme signed emergency declarations at their Board of Selectmen meetings Monday.
East Lyme closed all town buildings, including Town Hall and the Senior Center, to the public effective 8 p.m. Monday. Old Lyme will do the same beginning Wednesday. Town employees still will come to work and continue to take phone calls, respond to emails and file and respond to incoming paperwork.
In some cases, members of the public may be allowed to schedule appointments to come in to town hall, if necessary, both East Lyme First Selectman Mark Nickerson and Old Lyme First Selectman Tim Griswold said.
“We are going to make accommodations as much as possible, through emails, through scanning,” Nickerson said in a video posted to the town’s website Monday night. “We are going to try to accommodate, maybe, on an appointment basis, or by curbside.”
East Lyme’s Zoning Official Bill Mulholland said Monday by phone that he and his staff are still trying to find a safe way to receive incoming land-use permit applications, whether that’s through curbside pickup or a drop box set up outside Town Hall.
Nickerson in Monday's video also announced building inspections will be scaled back to minimize person-to-person contact and to protect employees, while the East Lyme Transfer Station will remain open during normal business hours. The public, however, will not be allowed in the toll house/weigh station, he said.
“We gotta keep our employees safe,” Nickerson said in the video. “It’s very important, they are going home to their loved ones and families, but we want to keep you safe, too.”
Griswold said the Board of Selectmen also enacted a ban on group and team events in town parks and facilities, such as the Hains Park Boat House, until further notice. “Individuals can still go out and walk in the parks and people can still go sit on the beach, we are not concerned about that,” he said. “But we don’t want groups of people meeting to play a game of soccer in the park.”
Groton Town Manager John Burt announced Monday that he signed a declaration of emergency and that starting Wednesday, the public would not be allowed to access the Town Hall, Town Hall Annex, and Human Services building, "except by appointment and potentially some curbside services." The Groton Public Library, Senior Center and Community Center are closed. The full announcement is available at groton-ct.gov.
City of Groton Mayor Keith Hedrick also had announced Monday he had issued a Declaration of Local Civil Preparedness Emergency and was closing the Municipal Building starting at the end of the day Tuesday, though people could still call the city and Groton Utilities.
New London also had announced the closure of some city offices. Mayor Michael Passero called on departments and agencies to take all necessary steps to hold public meetings by conference call, videoconference or other technology. The Senior Center, which is closed to seniors, will be the central designated location for all public meetings until further notice.
The Ledyard Town Council on Tuesday unanimously approved an emergency declaration.
Mayor Fred Allyn III said Town Hall is closed to the public, but staff is working. “We have installed a secured lockbox in front of town hall for document drops, he said. “Residents can call the specific department from the front of town hall and we will retrieve documents, record and mail or email receipt as needed.”
Waterford has not declared an emergency but is considering it. First Selectman Rob Brule announced through an executive order posted to the town's website Sunday that all town facilities would be closed starting Monday, March 16, while Senior Services will continue to provide transportation to medical appointments. The town’s transfer station also will remain open.
Norwich City Hall is mostly closed and a police officer was stationed at the door asking if people have appointments. Most city offices are closed, and the city was encouraging people to take advantage of online services, including building permit applications and the payment of taxes and permit fees.
By law, the city clerk must take in births, deaths and marriage licenses, burial permits and cremation permits. Land records are by mail, Fed Ex or appointment. The city is not doing dog licenses in person, only by mail, or by credit card over the phone and mail out. Most Norwich municipal meetings are being canceled.
In a letter to residents posted on the town website, Preston First Selectwoman Sandra Allyn-Gauthier outlined that “effective immediately the Town Hall and Town Garage will be asking everyone to call the appropriate department or person to see if we can handle your need by phone or electronically.”
“If your business need is essential, please call the department or person to see if they can arrange an appointment for you and grant you access to the Town Hall if absolutely no other resolution can be worked out,” she wrote. “The transfer station will remain open per its normal scheduled hours but please take every precaution while disposing of your refuse.”
In Stonington, the town is holding off on enacting an emergency declaration. First Selectman Danielle Chesebrough said Tuesday she is not sure what the town would gain from enacting such a measure at this point.
She said Gov. Ned Lamont already has closed all bars and restaurants, which is one of the main reasons the town was looking at the ban. In addition, she said it does not appear that federal disaster aid will be tied to local disaster declarations.
“We also do not want to add any panic. We don’t want people to be unnecessarily afraid,” she said after meeting Tuesday afternoon with other members of the Board of Selectmen. The meeting was broadcast via Facebook live.
She added that she has already had the town attorney draft an emergency declaration, in case it is needed. She said the town could possibly go ahead with it after she confers Wednesday with other members of the Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments.
Chesebrough said that while Town Hall remains closed, most employees are in the building working. A few are working remotely due to family situations or being at a greater risk of infection. She said residents who show up at Town Hall are being met in the parking lot. Human Service Department employees are working in shifts to avoid infecting all department members, while public works employees are working in separate teams to decrease their exposure.
Chesebrough said town employees are currently working on implementing a system to broadcast meetings while being able to interact with residents.
She said the Board of Finance will go ahead with its scheduled meeting at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Pawcatuck Middle School to begin deliberations on the proposed 2020-21 budget. She said three members will attend in person and four will participate remotely. She said the deliberation meeting, which traditionally does not involve public comment, will be broadcast on Facebook Live. Instructions about how to watch the meeting will be posted on the town website, stonington-ct.gov.
“We don’t want to delay the budget,” Chesebrough said.
The public hearing on the budget is slated for April 9. Chesebrough said it is not known yet if the hearing will be able to be held online or have to be postponed.
While Lyme has not yet signed its own emergency declaration, First Selectman Steve Mattson issued an executive order Friday closing all town buildings to the public, including Town Hall, the library, fire house and town garage. Residents can still make calls or emails to town staff. The town's recycling and transfer stations will remain open for the time being, Mattson said Tuesday, as "they are low-contact locations."
Calls made Tuesday to North Stonington First Selectman Mike Urgo were not immediately returned. According to the town's website, the Board of Selectmen planned to discuss Tuesday night an emergency declaration.
More information and updates are available on municipal websites and Facebook pages.
Day Staff Writers Claire Bessette, Amanda Hutchinson and Greg Smith contributed to this report.
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