Selectmen rework town operations for COVID‑19, approve CARES outreach spending and online meetings

As the COVID‑19 pandemic unfolded, Town Manager Billings and Selectmen adjusted municipal operations to reduce transmission risk and maintain essential services. The town closed or limited in‑person office access, published a local resource page with testing and service contacts, and encouraged phone, fax and drop‑box transactions.

Selectmen approved CARES-funded outreach spending (about $8,500 referenced for local outreach, signage and sanitizer supplies) to support pandemic response and public information. The board also discussed temporarily suspending recycling operations at the transfer station early in the outbreak because of public‑health concerns about shared surfaces, and later considered structural approaches (separate open‑air totes) to restart recycling safely.

The TM and staff also worked with local businesses on temporary accommodations; for example, revocable licenses were discussed as a short-term approach to allow expanded outdoor dining for restaurants impacted by indoor restrictions.

Why it matters: Pandemic-related operational changes affect residents’ access to municipal services and the town’s ability to deliver public health messaging. CARES funding provided a one-time resource to support signage, sanitizing and outreach to limit spread and support local businesses.

What happens next: The Selectmen continued to monitor public-health guidance, to deploy CARES funds as approved and to reconsider recycling and public‑space use as conditions change.