Weston Town Department/Service Status During Coronavirus

Press release from the Town of Weston:

April 13, 2020

Town Department/Service Status During COVID-19

Weston’s Response to COVID-19 Developments - Including Updates on Town Departments, Regis College & MassDCR Park

• Town Officials and Emergency Management meet frequently throughout the week and updates are posted to Weston.org/Covid19 and sent via email/text through Town News and Public Safety News on Mon., Wed., and Fri.
• only essential government operations and services are in place and two major Town projects that are continuing under approved conditions. This will continue to be monitored and many employees are working remotely and via email

Emergency Management

• Weston is in a State of Emergency as of March 17th, following the Massachusetts declaration on March 10th, and the Federal declaration on March 13th.
• Temporary measures have already been enacted, and may continue to be put in place, by Weston’s Emergency Management team to help prevent or control community spread and to help maintain the health and safety of residents and town employees
• Emergency Management Leaders have the mandated responsibility to follow and enforce the orders and recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the State Department of Public Health, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Weston’s Board of Health follows CDC protocol when managing an infectious disease
• Residents should review their notification options for WestonAlerts, the Town’s official emergency notification system. Visit Weston.org/WestonAlerts to sign into your account and set your preferences for notifications

Town Hall

• the building is closed to the public, only essential staff is on site and only as necessary
• a drop-box has been installed outside the double-glass doors of Town Hall and is for official business only, such as paying taxes. Staff will be on site on Mondays and Thursdays to collect materials
• email is the best method to reach a department, see the Staff Directory for assistance
• certain government board/committee meetings have moved to an online meeting platform and instructions are detailed on the meeting agendas as to how residents can participate
• Weston Media Center is working with Town Hall administration to provide recordings of certain online meetings
• the Land Use/Building Department is closed except for emergency building inspections
• the Health Department is essential staff focused solely on COVID-19 and is closed to non-emergency inspections
• the Town Clerk is available for limited services, email davenport.d@westonmass.org
• Visit Online Services on the Town’s website to view bill paying options
• call 781-786-5000 to reach a department to leave a voicemail message but keep in mind that email is best

Weston Public Schools

• are currently closed through April and have successfully moved to online classes
• all School grounds and courts are CLOSED to public access, this will be enforced
• School updates will be posted to WestonSchools.org and sent out through the Weston Public Schools’ email notification system

Transfer Station: only open on Tuesdays and Saturdays, Brush Dump Open Saturdays through May 2nd

• Transfer Station Hours are from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• Brush Dump for yard waste is open April 11, 18, 25 and May 2 from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• the Swap Shed and other donation bins are closed to reduce contamination
• if too many vehicles are on site at the transfer station, cars will be held at the entrance until numbers clear. TUESDAY HAS FEWER VISITORS whereas Saturdays are busy
• Reduced days has been implemented to reduce the potential of community spread and to protect the health of staff and residents

Department of Public Works

• the DPW building is closed to the public and emergency response teams are in place, call 781-786-5100 to leave a voicemail, call 781-786-6201 for after hour emergencies
• the Water Division will continue weekly sampling, meter reading, and DigSafe mark-outs
• MWRA drinking water continues to be safe and will continue to be reliably provided, see MWRA press release
• the Highway Division will operate for specific necessities
• the Annual Household Hazardous Waste Collection held in April has been postponed until later in the year
• Hydrant flushing has been postponed to later in the year

Fire and Police stations

• buildings are staffed but doors are locked. Residents are encouraged to minimize physical visits to only essential business
• PPE can be dropped off outside the Fire Dept. headquarters
• DO NOT visit if you are exhibiting flu-like symptoms or are feeling run-down, please call in advance. This is to protect the health of the town’s first-responders

The Council on Aging at the Community Center

• The Community Center is closed
• Essential COA staff and social workers are checking voicemail and email regularly throughout the business day. Call 781-786-6280 or email westoncoa@westonmass.org for assistance
• The Emergency Reserve Corps is working with COA staff to help residents with groceries or pharmacy
• Check out the virtual programming that’s being offered
• Meals on Wheels delivery will continue for now, as usual
• Please visit the COA status web page at Weston.org/COA for further information and updates

The Recreation Department at the Community Center

• The Community Center is closed
• all spring programs that begin prior to June 1 have been cancelled, see the latest Recreation Happenings for further details
• Check out the FREE online adult fitness classes that are being offered
• summer programs are currently being planned; however, registration has been suspended. See the latest Recreation Happenings for further details

Weston Public Library and the Weston AIC

• are closed until further notice in keeping with local/federal directives; however, the digital library is always available and Librarians are offering support to patrons who need help using digital resources. Visit the Library website WestonLibrary.org for details
• Have you seen our Librarians online? Check out the virtual storytimes and Poetry Month selections at Facebook.com/WestonLibrary
• Do not return borrowed materials to the Library
• The Weston AIC is offering AIC-at-Home, #keepcalmandmakeart

Conservation Land/Trails - Mandatory Leashing in Effect & Cat Rock is Closed to out-of-town Visitors

• People walking with dogs on Weston’s trails must keep their dogs leashed in order to avoid coming into close physical space with another trail user. This is for EVERYONE’S protection from potential infection from a close encounter with others. YOUR COOPERATION IS APPRECIATED
• If a parking lot is full, that most likely means the trails are busy. DO NOT PARK IN THE STREET. There are nearly 100 miles of trails in Weston, find an alternate trail to help maintain safe physical space or visit when the trails are less busy. Visit Weston.org/Trails or WestonForestTrail.org for maps
• Observe No Parking signs - No parking signs have been placed along roadways and portions of some parking lots have been cordoned off to limit the total number of visitors. This is for everyone’s safety.
• Leave No Trace - this means pick up and remove from the trails and woods your dog’s waste and anything else you bring with you. There are no trash barrels, take it home.
• Wet weather means wet trails and that means no bikes on wet trails. Please take a moment to review trail etiquette/rules so as not to destroy the trails

Municipal, Recreation, School, Regis College, and MassDCR playgrounds, parks and fields

• All playgrounds in Weston are closed until further notice
• the Leo J. Martin public golf course is closed until further notice
• All Weston Public School fields and grounds are closed to the public and trespassing will be enforced
• All Regis College athletics facilities—indoor and outdoor, including the track, fields, and tennis courts – are closed and the campus and all buildings are closed to the public
• Municipal and Recreation parks and fields may be accessed by individuals and people from the same household to get fresh air and general exercise. Maintain at minimum a 6-foot distance when others are present and follow recommended public hygiene of hand washing and covering coughs and sneezes

Brook School Apartments

• All social gatherings and events within the buildings are cancelled and until further notice
• Outside visitors and being asked to limit in-person visits to only necessity
• tennis courts are closed

This press release was produced by the Town of Weston. The views expressed here are the author’s own.