Southwick Chief Administrative Officer Karl Stineheart. (THE WESTFIELD NEWS PHOTO)
SOUTHWICK – With Gov. Charlie Baker’s announcement of a phased approach to opening businesses, Southwick officials are getting prepared.
Chief Administrative Officer Karl Stinehart said this week that he is working closely with Health Director Tammy Spencer on a local plan.
“I’ve asked her to come up with a framework for our operations,” said Stinehart.
Stinehart noted that the Council on Aging would be “scaled back” in its daily operations even once Southwick Town Hall opens to the public in order to limit exposure possibilities to the elderly population served at the Southwick Senior Center.
Stinehart said he connected with peer groups on a list serve and discovered most municipalities are not ready to open yet.
“Most town halls are not going to open until there is more clear direction,” Stinehart said, adding he expected that to come from Baker by May 18, the next target date for opening some businesses.
Spencer is not advocating to open the Town Hall lobby just yet, he added.
“We will continue to prepare to open,” Stinehart said. “We have signage ordered for the buildings, plexi-glass dividers, masks and things like that.”
Stinehart said the May 19 Special State Election will be a “good test” of how town hall business could function.
“We have to get everybody up to speed [on new procedures] in Town Hall,” he said. “The library is working on a separate plan with the health director.We still have a way to go.”
