OLD LYME — Old Lyme First Selectman Timothy Griswold called this morning to let us know that, at their meeting yesterday evening, the Old Lyme Board of Selectmen approved the declaration of a State of Emergency for the Town of Old Lyme. The immediate effect of the declaration is in Griswold’s words, “to keep the public at bay” [from town hall] meaning that the public will no longer have access to Memorial Town Hall from tomorrow onward.
Town hall staff will still be working, however, and reachable by phone and email. People who need to conduct face-to-face business with a department must call that department to discuss whether they can schedule an appointment.
Griswold said tonight’s scheduled Old Lyme Board of Finance meeting would go ahead as planned but noted that the selectmen are looking into “a service to enable some meetings to be held probably telephonically,” in the future. He explained “the recording of the meeting could then be put online,” and that would “satisfy [Governor] Lamont’s recommendations” regarding not getting together in person for meetings. Griswold stressed, however, that boards, commissions and committees are being “encouraged to postpone” whenever possible unless “there is something they really need to meet for.”
Responding to a question as to why the State of Emergency was justified, Griswold said it gives the board “more flexibiility” and “the ability to take action without a meeting … more quickly and more unilaterally.” He added that it also enables volunteers, who becomes ill [from the virus] to claim Worker’s Compensation and significantly, allows the Town to have a “higher chance of reimbursement” if it spends any unanticipated monies during the crisis.
Asked what his message was to the residents of Old Lyme, Griswold urged them to “follow all the advice we’ve been hearing,” by “being sensible,” and “minimizing social contact with other people.” Saying, “I feel for small businesses and we’re really hoping there will be some relief for them from the Feds or the state,” he noted, “LYSB is going to assist where needed,” and stressed, “We’re all doing the best we can.”