First Selectman's Corner - April 16, 2020 - Social Distancing
April 16, 2020
I hope everyone is hanging in there and staying safe. Social distancing can be a difficult and lonely experience. After all, we do enjoy being together with family and friends during the Spring months especially at Easter and Passover.
Unfortunately, we’re all aware that the virus is in New Hartford. There are several confirmed cases and many more “presumptive positives” that remain self-isolated at home. Sadly, due to lack of testing, only those that have received tests are listed as “confirmed” on the State Website and the “Presumptive Positives” are not included within the count. Therefore, the numbers are higher than represented and that is why we must continue to follow the Safe Distancing protocols until such time as the virus passes and our lives can return to normal.
I wanted to take a moment to update you all about Town operations during this difficult Covid-19 crisis. As you know, we continue to operate Town Hall on an “Appointment Only” basis. In person appointments are limited to Tuesdays and Thursdays and it’s working well. The Selectman’s office remains open Monday through Friday to take your calls and schedule appointments for all departments. Believe me when I tell you the phones are ringing steadily!
Christine and I are here every day to help answer your questions or to guide you to useful information – no matter what the need. Our town hall telephone number is 860-379-3389. Annie & Jill continue to process payroll and pay bills and conduct WPCA business. All Town Hall offices are functioning and thankfully, the virus has not impacted any of our staff or their families. Please note we’ve taken precautions to protect our staff and residents. The building is cleaned and sanitized daily.
Our Department of Public Works team continues to maintain our roads and parks. The Town Garage has been closed to the public. We’re fortunate to have a good team in place who continue to work every day on our behalf in a safe, socially distant manner. This time of year is typically dedicated to street sweeping, drainage, road grading (dirt roads) and tree cutting. Our team is out working full time – and I’ve advised them to avoid any contact with the general public. If you have a road, tree or any concern – as always – call the Selectman’s office and we can relay that information to them.
Our Police Department team is also on the job full time - on the front lines - everyday. The only change in routine operations has been a suspension of fingerprinting appointments which came as a result of the Governor’s Executive Orders. I wanted to take a moment to offer our congratulations to veteran officer Kevin Wilkinson who recently retired. Kevin spent most of his career with the Canton PD and came to work with us here in New Hartford in 2013. We send our best wishes to Kevin and family for a wonderful retirement!
The Town Clerk’s office is busy! There have been many real estate closings and refinancing documents continuing to come through Town Hall. Donna and Debbie have been rotating coverage and are doing a great job of providing data and recording documents during an uncertain time of customer service. If you need access to the Clerk’s office, please make an appointment with Christine who maintains the master schedule. Please note that we continue to encourage access to data via online resources, our town’s website, email or regular mail. This limits our one on one contact and protects everyone.
Our Tax Collector is busy preparing for summer tax season and continues to process tax payments. The Assessor’s office also remains available. They are preparing tax appeals, accepting elderly and disabled homeowner’s applications, veteran’s exemptions and rental rebates. If you have a need to access services, they are here for you - please call for an appointment.
The Building Inspector remains busy processing building permits, plan reviews and conducting limited inspections. The Zoning Officer continues to take calls regarding setbacks, issuing zoning permits and fielding your questions.
The Senior Van keeps rolling along. Our bus driver Mel has been transporting our seniors to doctors’ appointments. Unfortunately, we’ve had to modify our trip schedule to one passenger at a time, but we’ve been able to keep the service running for those who need it.
During this time, we’ve also continued to support our Covid-19 positive residents by offering grocery delivery and we remain in constant contact with Farmington Valley Health District and the Governor’s office. Should you need assistance, we’re just a phone call away. We recognize the challenge that all residents are facing, especially those that work for or own small businesses. We continue to promote small, locally owned businesses and recommend that you support them now more than ever. These are our friends and neighbors who need our financial support. We’ve also added information to our town website outlining the supportive programs available through the Small Business Administration (through the CARES Act). As always, if you have a question or concern – feel free to contact us – we are here to help you no matter how large or small the need.
I encourage all residents to make use of our town’s website. This is a great way to keep up with town events. Please sign up for Town News and Announcements. It’s easy and will bring information right into your home via email.
Stay safe!
Dan Jerram, First Selectman