Photo: Belmont Town Hall which will be closed on Monday, March 16

Belmont has hung up the “Closed” sign.

Belmont’s government including Town Hall, the Public Library, its schools and the senior center will be shut down for the foreseeable future beginning on Monday, March 16, according to town officials.

“In accordance with guidance from Governor Baker and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH), and in an effort to balance the ability to continue to provide important services and to protect the health and safety of the residents of Belmont, the Town is taking the following measures,” read an email from Assistant Town Manager Jon Marshall dated Saturday, March 14

Effective Monday, March 16, services and closures are as follows:

TOWN HALL OFFICES
Beginning Monday, March 16, Belmont Town Complex Offices are CLOSED to the PUBLIC until further notice. Access will be limited to staff only at this time. Essential services will continue but are subject to change as circumstances change. Town Hall and Homer Building office hours will remain the same: Mondays 8 a.m. – 7 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., and Fridays 8 a.m. – noon. If you need assistance please contact Town offices via email or phone.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Police and Fire emergency response will continue to operate as usual. However, administrative services have been amended as follows:

• Fire Stations are closed to the public. For Fire Prevention issues please call 617-993-2210.
• Police Headquarters will remain open. No one will be turned away. However, we would prefer that if you need to visit the police station you call first at 617-484-1212. In the event of an emergency please call 9-1-1.

BELMONT PUBLIC SCHOOLS
The Belmont Public Schools are CLOSED through Friday, March 27. This timeline may change as we learn more from our federal, state and local boards of health. Although school administration central offices will remain open, in an attempt to limit person to person interactions, all questions should be sent via email or phone.

BELMONT PULIC LIBRARY
Beginning Monday, March 16, the Belmont Public Library will be CLOSED to the PUBLIC until further notice. Belmont Public Library building access will be limited to staff only at this time. Hours are Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you need assistance please contact the library via email or phone. Information regarding available services can be found on the library website. 

BEECH STREET SENIOR CENTER
Beginning Monday, March 16, Beech Street Center will be CLOSED to the PUBLIC until further notice. The Beech Street Center building access will be limited to staff only at this time. Essential services such as food, social work counseling and transportation for seniors will continue to be available. If you need assistance please contact the senior center via email or phone at 617-993-2970.

BELMONT ELECTRIC LIGHT
Beginning Monday, March 16th, Belmont Electric Light will be CLOSED to the PUBLIC until further notice. All questions should be sent via email or phone. Belmont Electric Light building access will be limited to staff only at this time.

FOOD PANTRY

The Town is working on modified procedures to allow for the Food Pantry, which is located in Town Hall, to operate and provide this critical service to the community. We anticipate having the Food Pantry open on its regularly scheduled day, Saturday, March 21. Food will be provided by volunteers handing out bags outside of Town Hall. If you need assistance, please contact the Food Pantry at belmontfoodpantry@gmail.com. We anticipate further updates mid-week.

BOARD AND COMMITTEE MEETINGS

The Governor’s Executive Order suspended portions of the Open Meeting Law to allow for remote participation for boards and committees. The Select Board is meeting Monday, March 16 at 7 p.m. The Select Board recognizes that this is a public meeting, but given current circumstances is encouraging residents to view the meeting from home. The Town is actively working to provide residents with remote capability that allows for participation at home. We will provide more information on how to access the meeting on Monday, during the day.

TOWN ELECTION

The Town is evaluating, in collaboration with the state, the potential impacts of COVID-19 on the local Town Election scheduled for Tuesday, April 7. We will update the community as circumstances change.

COVID-19 INFORMATION PHONE LINE

Please call or email the informational line if you have questions: Monday through Friday 8am -4pm.

617-993-2222

belmonteoc@belmont-ma.gov

The Board of Health continues to recommend the following actions to limit the spread of COVID-19:

• Cover your mouth – when you cough or sneeze use a tissue or your inner elbow, not your hands.
• Wash your hands – with soap and warm water or use an alcohol-based sanitizing gel.
• Practice social distancing – when in public spaces try to remain at least 6-feet away from others.
• Actively Promote Social Distancing – encourage children to practice social distancing and goodhygiene when interacting with family and friends of all ages.
• Stay home if you are sick – and avoid close contact with others.

This situation is constantly evolving, and we are receiving updates throughout the day. We will continue to provide updated information as it becomes available on our website. www.belmont-ma.gov