Coronavirus: Acton Postpones Annual Town Meeting

ACTON, MA — Acton decided to postpone the Annual Town Meeting to limit the potential spread of the new coronavirus and to encourage social distancing. The Board of Selectmen issued a Declaration of Local Emergency consistent with local and state laws. The Board of Health will consider the Declaration when they meet later this week.

The Selectmen voted to delay Acton's Annual Town Meeting until a date when the Town has a better sense of when the social distancing prohibitions are lifted and the threat of the COVID-19 virus has waned to a safe level.

The Board also ratified the decision of Town Manager John Mangiaratti to close public buildings and public playgrounds. The closings will continue until such time as the Town Manager, in consultation with the chair and vice chair of the Board of Selectmen, determine the buildings and playgrounds should be re-opened.

Along with closures of town offices and buildings, Acton offered tips and information on finding food and resources in town:

Community Resources

• A new guide to available food resources is available here.
• Questions around fuel assistance eligibility and utility shut-off prevention should be directed to the Community Resources Office at 978-929-6651 or lducharme@acton-ma.gov.

Acton Nursing Services

• Appointments within the Acton Nursing Services office will be rescheduled for a later date as information and the COVID-19 situation continues to update. For concerns or questions call 978-929-6650.
• Home Health Care visits will continue with current clients as well as new clients who are referred to Acton Nursing Services. Be advised that per guidance for Home Health Agencies, all clients will receive a call prior to a home visit to assess their and any household members’ health status related to COVID-19. If you are a current client of Acton Nursing Services or if anyone within your household has a fever, cough or shortness of breath, call our office number at 978-929-6650 to report these or other concerning symptoms.

Libraries

• While the Acton Memorial Library remains temporarily closed to the public, all fines will be waived for items that become due while the building is closed. Do not return items until the library reopens.
• All physical items, including museum passes, will not be available to check out while the facility is closed. Residents are encouraged to explore the digital content available through the library.
• If you have any questions about these services, contact a library representative on Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 978-929-6655 or by emailing reference@actonma.gov.

Public Safety

• We are actively practicing social distancing at the Public Safety Facility. While the building will remain open for emergencies, we ask that you call our business line 978-929-7711 for all police matters. For general questions regarding COVID-19, call the state’s hotline at 211.
• We are taking more reports over the phone and if we do respond to your home we will try to keep our distance for everyone’s safety.
• The MedReturn bin has been temporarily removed from the lobby of the PSF.

Public Works

• The Transfer Station facility will remain open, but residents are encouraged to practice appropriate social distancing at the facility, as the virus is believed to spread when those who have the virus come into close contact, within six feet, of other people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• The Transfer Station office building will be open for staff only as one measure to ensure appropriate social distancing.
• We would like to ask residents to delay bringing their bulky items and other materials that will require monetary transactions. We want to limit potential exposure to the public and staff that would normally have to handle these items.

Schools

• Acton-Boxborough schools will offer bag lunches to individuals and families on Thursday, March 19 and Friday, March 20 for pick-up outside the main entrance of the High School. Pick up times will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Individuals picking up bag lunches should not enter the school and practice appropriate social distancing measures. All residents are welcome to pick up a meal regardless if you have a child enrolled in the school system.
• The Board of Health is contacting daycares to confirm if facilities are open or closed, with information to be obtained and discussed at the next Board meeting on Thursday, March 19.
• The Board has also discussed whether other private after-school programs, including dance schools, tutor-type schools, karate, etc. should be closed. The Health Division is currently reaching out to these businesses, and most are currently closed. The Health Division will continue with follow-ups to these local businesses to ensure compliance with recommended CDC and DPH guidelines if they intend to remain open.

Senior Center

• The Senior Center will remain closed to the public until further notice.
• Meals on Wheels operations will continue along with limited meal take-out service. Call 781-221-7085 to reserve a meal.
• Seniors in need of assistance with food, grocery shopping, etc. should call the Senior Center at 978-929-6652.

Transportation

• All of Acton’s fixed-route services, including the Rail Shuttle and Cross-Acton Transit (CAT), will be suspended until further notice.
• Door-to-door services remain in operation; however, riders are encouraged to utilize alternative modes of transportation if possible. To schedule rides, continue using CrossTown Connect dispatch by calling 978-844-6809 during normal business hours.

Other business

• The Health Division contacted all hair salons on Tuesday, March 17 and will be sending guidelines to all establishments, to include:
  • Request to reschedule high risk customers only.
  • Allow no more than 10 people at one time.
  • Arrange work stations so they are at least six feet apart.
  • Asking customers and staff to remain home if they are sick.
  • Avoid use of common items, but if required utilize disinfection methods approved by the EPA after each customer.