Town’s official updates on Covid-19: Town Meeting Delayed; Transfer Station open but Swap Shop closed (Updated)

{Editor’s Note: As soon as I posted this story, I saw that another update had gone out. So, here’s the updated Update from the Town.]

Today, the Town of Southborough issued public statements. In the most recent statement, the Town Moderator announced that Annual Town Meeting will be postponed until April 16th. The memo also clarified that the Transfer Station will be open tomorrow for Trash and Recycling. The Swap Shop will be closed.

An earlier memo today didn’t provide much new information beyond yesterday’s news. But it did include clarification around use of Town facilities.

Although the Senior Center is closed to the public, for now the Town offices at Cordaville Hall remain open during regular hours. Employees there and at Town Hall will report to work as normal. But they are asking the public to limit their visits to the offices:

Effective immediately we strongly recommend and encourage that as much town business as can be conducted through the Internet, e-mail and over the phone to minimize the number of people in the Town House. For those that have business that requires physical attendance at the Town House, this will be by appointment only. This requirement will be revisited in two weeks and revised as necessary

In addition:

• Town employee attendance at conferences/seminars will be severely restricted. Staff members will need permission from the Town Administrator to attend any work-related events;
• Use of town facilities by any outside groups have been discontinued, unless permission has been granted by the Town Administrator;
  • The only exception to this is board/committee meetings that are required for the continuance of town governance [i.e. Board of Selectmen, Board of Health]
  • Use of the Public Safety Building and Cordaville Hall meetings rooms has been discontinued until further notice;
• All large events and forums should be discontinued at this time in an effort to protect the public, colleagues and town employees;
• We ask that all boards and committees hold public meetings only if necessary.

The memo confirms that as of this morning, there were no confirmed cases reported of Southborough residents infected with the virus.

For Town employees, the memo also provides information on sick day policies around self-quarantining. You can read that full memo here.

As for Town Meeting, it is being pushed out to April 16th, a Thursday, at 7:00 pm. Moderator Paul Cimino wrote:

To the Voters of Southborough.

As some of you may know, Massachusetts law contemplates the possibility that a Town Meeting must be recessed for extraordinary public safety reasons. As your Moderator, it is my responsibility to determine whether we have arrived at such a point.

Over the past several days, I have taken guidance from State and local public health authorities, as well as our Board of Selectmen (including the comprehensive guidance issued by the Selectmen today), regarding the risks and challenges presented by the COVID-19 virus. I am particularly mindful that current guidance discourages the gathering of large numbers of people in enclosed spaces, as well as identifies certain segments of our population as being at increased risk.

As a result, I have concluded that our Annual Town Meeting currently scheduled for March 28, 2020, will be postponed, and instead will convene on Thursday, April 16th, at 7:00 p.m., in the Trottier Middle School auditorium.

As events continue to evolve with regard to COVID-19, I will update you accordingly as necessary.

You can read that full memo here.

Updated (3/13/20 3:35 pm): I added information from the 2nd memo this afternoon.