LYNNFIELD — As businesses and municipalities across the state are beginning to get back on their feet and reopen to the public under the state’s four-phase COVID-19 recovery plan, the Town of Lynnfield has taken its first steps toward resuming face-to-face business transactions.
The town announced last week that, as of Tuesday, May 26, the Town Hall will be open to the public. Business will be conducted by appointment only during normal working hours, 8 a.m.- 4:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday.
“Town Hall has been providing services to residents since the beginning of the pandemic,” said Town Administrator Rob Dolan. “Under Governor (Charlie) Baker’s recently announced Phase I plan, Town Hall will reopen to the public by appointment. Town Hall departments will begin taking appointments on Tuesday. This plan provides for a safe environment for both town employees and residents.”
Town Hall will take every precaution to ensure that visits will be as safe as possible. Visitors and employees will be required to comply with an abundance of protocols regarding safety precautions, including social distancing and facial coverings, in order to ensure that visits will be as safe as possible for everyone in the building. All offices will have hand sanitizer available for the public. Town employees will be wearing masks and maintaining proper social distancing whenever possible. Visitors to Town Hall are also required to wear masks, unless they are exempt due to a medical condition. Other new safety measures have been implemented within the building to limit the potential spread of infectious diseases, including sanitization of facilities open to the public.
A confidential log including name, address and telephone number will be maintained for everyone who enters the building to enable contact tracing, should it become necessary.
Those wishing to make an appointment should call or email the department they wish to visit. When responding to requests for appointments, town employees will provide the date, time and instructions on who to call upon arrival at Town Hall, as the building will remain locked at all times. Upon arrival, residents must call the number that has been provided in order to gain access to the building.
Visitors should enter Town Hall from the lower-level side door next to the parking lot, unless they need to use the handicap ramp for access. Those visitors should park in the reserved parking spaces between Town Hall and the police station and inform the office that they are using that entrance.
People are advised to stay at home if they are ill. Town Hall will work with those residents to provide the information required to conduct their business remotely, as Town Hall has been doing since the building was shut down to visitors in March. For document drop-off, the secure drop box at the parking lot entrance is still available.
“The Town of Lynnfield continues to work to serve the public while following state policies and guidelines to ensure that both residents and employees remain safe and healthy,” said Dolan. “We look forward to seeing Lynnfield residents at Town Hall.”
Walk-ins will not be allowed into the building under any circumstances. Dolan said individual department availability may vary from day to day.
For questions regarding the process, residents are advised to call the Town Administrator’s office at (781) 334-9410.
