Town Supervisor
Edward T. Lentz
Tel: (607) 263-5425
Email: newlisbonsupervisor@icloud.com
December 9, 2020
MEMO TO: Town of New Lisbon Elected Officials, Employees, and Residents RE: Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic
In light of the Novel Coronavirus pandemic, in consideration of cautions urged by epidemiology experts, and in compliance with Executive Order 202, until January 31, 2021:
- the Town Hall will remain closed, except for the conduct of essential government business that cannot be conducted by telephone or web conference or as required by law or executive order;
- the Town Court will remain closed unless and until it is reopened by the Town Justice pursuant to direction from the NYS Office of Court Administration;
- the January Town Board meeting will take place as scheduled on January 12 at 7:30pm. A decision on whether to hold the meeting in person or via web conference will be made by December 31;
- the Town Highway Department will continue normal operations. Town Highway Workers are required, while in town vehicles with more than one person or whenever social distancing is otherwise impractical, to wear face masks and are encouraged to use the hand sanitizer that has been placed in each town vehicle and in the garage office. A contingency plan for snow removal in the event of COVID-19 infection or exposure among Highway Workers is in place;
- the Town Assessor’s office will be closed. All business with the Assessor will be conducted by mail, email, or telephone. Exceptions can be made by the Asses- sor by appointment at the request of a town resident if the requestor’s matter is urgent and cannot be handled by mail, email, or telephone;
- the Town Clerk/Collector’s office will be closed. All business with the Clerk/Col- lector will be conducted by mail, email, or telephone. Exceptions can be made by the Clerk/Collector by appointment at the request of a town resident if the re- questor’s matter is urgent and cannot be handled by mail, email, or telephone;
- if an in-person meeting is necessary, an appointment is required, only the mini- mum required number of people may participate, each participant must wear a face mask covering the nose and mouth, and all participants must be separated by at least six feet;
- any reservations by town residents, groups, clubs, etc., for use of the community hall are canceled;
- the New Lisbon Housing Program will proceed, subject to objection by a home- owner and to the discretion of contractors. During site visits, contractors will be instructed to wear face masks and to respect social distancing when interacting with homeowners and otherwise to follow all CDC and NYS guidelines with re- spect to avoiding spread of the COVID-19 virus;
- all town employees and contractors are required to follow all CDC and NYS guidelines with respect to avoiding spread of the COVID-19 virus, e.g., employ- ees and contractors are required to:
- avoid unnecessary personal contact – no handshaking or embracing
- practice social distancing – minimum six feet – whenever possible
- wear face masks covering the nose and mouth when social distancing is not practical
- notify the Town Supervisor or the Highway Superintendent and stay home if sick
- practice good hand hygiene – wash hands with soap thoroughly and use hand sanitizer frequently
- use proper cough and sneeze etiquette – cough or sneeze into inside of el- bow or tissue that is disposed after use
- notify the Town Supervisor or the Highway Superintendent if they have been in contact with a person known to be infected with the COVID-19 virus or with a person who has symptoms of respiratory illness, including flu-like symptoms.
At the January 12 Town Board meeting, this matter will be discussed by the Town Board and an announcement will be made the next day regarding the town’s future actions to confront the COVID-19 pandemic.
