Sunderland town offices to be open on limited basis

SUNDERLAND — Officials have approved a plan to reopen its Town Offices to the public on a limited basis. 

Effective April 5, the Town Offices on School Street will be open to the public, without appointment, on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., according to a notice on the town website. All other times will remain by appointment only. 

Between Thursday and April 1, the building will be open during regularly treasury hours for tax payments only. 

At a Selectboard meeting March 22, Town Administrator Geoff Kravitz said with 20 percent of the town population currently vaccinated — and that number continuing to rise — the town was ready to consider reopening on a limited basis. 

“We would rope off the central area on the the main floor and rope off the stairs so that people couldn’t go up and down,” he said. “You’d basically go into the office you were trying to get to — entering in the rear and exiting in the front.”

Kravitz said accommodations could be made for people who needed to visit multiple offices. 

“We’re still going to ask people to fill out the contact tracing form, the self-certification form and take their temperature,” he said. 

The Board of Health reviewed the plan, Kravitz noted, and with a few modifications — such as providing wipes to clean the thermometer — were supportive of it. 

“The idea would be if we see community spread, we would circle back with the Board of Health and decide if we need to step back and re-close to the public for a limited time,” Kravitz said. 

According to the post on the town website, a maximum of one visitor will be allowed in each office, and town office resources — including the computer terminal and restrooms — will not be available for use. Hand sanitizer will be available at various locations in the building. 

Selectboard members said it “makes sense” to begin the reopening process. 

“It makes sense to start taking those steps, I think,” said Selectboard Chair David Pierce. “Especially in light of the steps the state is taking and where are in phases, and vaccination rates.”

■Thursday, March 25: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

■Monday, March 29: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

■Tuesday, March 30: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

■Wednesday, March 31: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

■Thursday, April 1: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429. Twitter: @MaryEByrne.