LIVERMORE FALLS — A soft reopening of the Town Office could occur with a couple of half days or full days in the next couple of weeks.
Town Manager Stephen Gould plans to check with staff to get their input.
Twelve Maine town offices are tentatively planning go reopen to the public in May, while 24 plan to reopen June 1 or later, Gould said Tuesday during a teleconference selectmen’s meeting.
Five towns did not close, including Mercer, Searsmont and Limington, he said.
Jay’s office is still not open to the public but staff is working on rotating shifts five days a week.
A sheet of plastic has been put up at the counter at the Livermore Falls office but there is a draft that draws the air in toward the employees, Gould said. Suggestions were made to stop the draft, including making a couple of inch cuts at the top and shutting doors.
Gould said he found a place to get sanitizer and he is looking for masks and wipes. All of the safety items will be in place before the opening.
He will recommend that staff wear masks and hopes people coming in will also wear them. Only one person at a time will be served and a maximum of three people will be allowed in the lobby. He also plans to put tape down so people remain 6 feet apart.
Gould asked selectmen when they would like the office to reopen.
Selectmen Heather Bronish, Jeff Bryant and Nixon Ortiz believed the opening should be gradual, possibly some half days and maybe a couple of full days.
Bryant suggested they go slowly, put signs at the door for guidance.
He didn’t think a full-blown opening would work.
“It is ultimately what people are comfortable with,” he said.
Chairman Rod Heikkinen said he was having a hard time telling people to wait on someone and then the staff member gets sick.
There are always going to be people who don’t respect others and follow the guidelines, Bryant said.
“I think the soft opening is necessary,” Bronish said. Maybe a couple of days or half days to start, she said.
People need to look at ways to get back to routines and be careful at the same time, Ortiz said.
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