The Hubbardston Report
March 2020
This Month
The Board of Selectmen recognized the winners of the Frozen Assets contest at their meeting on March 25, 2020. Thanks from the town's Special Events Coordinator to everyone who participated. Here is the final Frozen Assets information:
The official sink date and time was:
March 4th 2020 at 3:08:15am
The Closest guess was from the Hubb Town Dinner:
March 4th at 8:15:35am ($300 gift card)
The 2nd closest guess was from Marie Langevin:
March 3rd at 4:10:15pm ($150 gift card)
The 3rd closest guess was from The Galante Family:
March 3rd at 3:33:33pm ($75 gift card)
The 4th closest guess was Morgan Brinker:
March 3rd at 3:33:02pm (1 flat of eggs for 8 weeks courtesy of The Country Hen!)
Thank you to our sponsors of Frozen Assets...The Country Hen, Broberg Insurance, JP McCarthy & Sons, Pirner Logging & Land Clearing, Hands Down Massage Therapy, Proulx Family Financial, Handy Lou’s Home Improvement & Greenland Farm.
As of now the Hubbardston Fair is still on!
We are now taking applications from artists, crafters, small businesses and vendors for the fair. Come join the fun! June 27th 10-3 at Curtis Recreational Field. Rain date June 28th.
This Month
Responding to the COVID-19 outbreak quickly became the primary focus of the Executive Office in March. The Town Administrator, Board of Selectmen, Emergency Director and Board of Health responded to federal, state and local guidance, implementing many measures to combat the deadly disease. Updated information about the town's response can be found on the red emergency banner on the town Web site.
In response to the COVID-19 outbreak and in consultation with federal, state and local officials, the Town of Hubbardston implemented the following measures:
- All schools are closed until May 4th
- The Board of Selectmen declared a local state of emergency effective March 25
- Town offices are closed to the public until May 4, 2020
- Town employees are ordered to work from home wherever possible
- Playground equipment, athletic courts and the skate park are closed
- Non-essential businesses are closed to the public per the Governor
Public safety and town office functions continue despite the closures. Residents are encouraged to interact virtually with all departments to limit exposures; however, staff will do everything they can to make sure residents receive services. Each department is open and answering phone calls, emails and mail within 24 hours.
Town officials received some positive updated information in March about the Town Center Project. While this important project is scheduled for state funding in 2023, there is possibility that the project will be moved into a 2022 slot. This is contingent on the readiness or other area projects already scheduled. The town continues to engage with The Engineering Company (TEC) to finalize the project design. The Town Center Committee plans to ask Town Meeting voters in June to support the final project funding.
The Town Administrator had the following recognition for town staff at the March 25, 2020 Board of Selectmen meeting:
"Normally I try and make my employee recognition very specific so the town can see our town staff’s hard work in action. However, given everything I have asked the staff to do in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, I think it makes sense to recognize everyone as a group. Our police and fire continue to keep people safe despite great risk of exposure. Our DPW not only continues to operate, but also provided excellent snow removal in the middle of a stay-at-home order. Town Hall staff has met every deadline, returned every phone call/email and processed everyone of my requests all while being asked to move their workstations to their homes. We are demonstrating the type of resilience that makes local government innovative, efficient and responsive. I want to thank everyone of my employees for caring about their profession, for taking care of residents and for doing way more than they were asked in one of the worst of situations possible. They will continue the functions of government and I will continue to be thankful for them."
Stay safe everyone and help each other!
Due to the State of Emergency on Massachusetts, the Hubbardston Public Library was closed to the public on March 13, 2020. Our staff remained onsite working our normal business hours and made ourselves available to the public through phone and email until the end March.
Our Story Time Leader Miss Michele has been posting videos on our Facebook page, offering a mini Story Time on Wednesday and Friday mornings. We have been utilizing our Facebook page to share websites that offer free programs for children like the Museum of Science and author Eric Carle.
The American Library Association and the Massachusetts Library Association both recommended that Libraries do not offer curbside pickup. We are addressing long term projects, for example we will be setting up a digital slideshow display in our foyer, showing the various activities going on in town and the surrounding area. Patrons can continue to reach us through phone, email and Messenger on Facebook. The Library staff is looking forward to when we can safely reopen to the public.
In March the Department of Public Works continued to keep Hubbardston’s roads safe during this snow and ice winter season. DPW Crews also completed the following projects:
- Brush mowing continued on New Westminster, Lombard and Bickford Pond Roads. The Pincreast area also received treatments.
- Street sweeping continued on Main Street and Williamsville and Worcester Roads.
- Patching continued on numerous roads around town to include dirt surfaces
- The department received delivery of the New Oshkosh. The town mechanic is undercoating the new machine and readying it for use.
Next Month the DPW will continue to open up the site lines and edges of the roads with brush mowing and ground cutting.
This Month
March has been all about excise tax. In late February, our first commitment of 2020 containing 4,684 bills representing $529,390.39 was mailed to taxpayers. As of March 31st, 3978 bills have been paid totaling $458,668.04. Although the bills were due on March 23rd, we will not be adding interest or fees at this time due to the coronavirus pandemic.
All tax title properties have now been entered into our new Vadar software. Warning letters were sent to five owners of properties that have been in tax title for years. The Town will begin foreclosure on these in the near future if not paid.
Because of the Governor’s stay at home advisory, we are currently working from home as much as possible. We continue to process mail and online payments. We are checking email and phone messages at least daily.
There is legislature in the State House and Senate to change the due date of real estate taxes from May 4th to June 1st. If this bill is passed, we will update you on our website.
This Month
March has been quite interesting in not only in the Town Clerks office but in the entire world. I like so many others have been adjusting to working from home while ensuring residents questions or concerns are answered as quickly as possible. Phone service was interrupted earlier this month in the Town Clerks office and in the Land Use department in which calls were being redirected back to the main menu and messages could not be left. Once discovered, the issue was addressed as quickly as possible and both lines are now again working properly.
Due to the state of emergency, the due date for dog license renewals has been moved to May 1st. We encourage all residents to register as soon a possible if a new rabies is not needed to avoid late fees after the extended deadline. Dog license renewals can be submitted online or by dropping a check made payable to the “Town of Hubbardston”, recent rabies (if we do not already have it on file) and a self-addressed stamped envelope in the secure drop box located outside the library basement offices.
Next Month
April will be spent working on Town Meeting and Town Election while keeping up on the daily changes due to the Covid-19 pandemic. At this point in time Town Meeting and Town Election will be held on the current scheduled dates of Town Meeting on Tuesday, June 2nd and the Town Election on Tuesday, June 9th. Nomination paper information will be available ASAP to include; vacancies, pick up information, deadlines and information on keeping the candidate and signatory safe while adhering to the social distancing guidelines.
The Federal Government has been mailing the federal census to all households across the United States and should be arriving any day if you have not already received it. Please note, this census has no relation to the town or the town census. If you have questions regarding the 2020 federal census please contact the U.S. Census Bureau directly at 1-844-330-2020.
Although we do not currently have public hours, I am available by phone or email to address any questions or concerns you may have. By phone I can be reached at 978-928-1400 x202, please leave a voicemail with your contact information when leaving a message or by email at tclerk@hubbardstonma.us. All messages will be addressed as quickly as possible and within 24 hours. Stay Safe!
The department has been in close contact over past few weeks with state and local official, as well as Heywood Hospital for the latest information on handling the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently the fire department is adequately supplied with PPE due to our reserve supple as well as generous donations by town residents. Currently emergency medical call responses are down, but we are planning for and expecting that to increase in the next few weeks.
Open burning season runs from January 15th and goes through May 1st. An open burning permit from the fire department for fee of $10 dollars is required. Because of the fire station being closed to the public due to COVID-19 we are asking residents to mail in their permit application and fee to: Hubbardston Fire Department, 7 Main Street Unit 5. Permits were mailed out with census information and you can also find them on the town web page to print out.
March Statistics
Calls:
Total Calls 45
Fire 10 EMS 25 Public Service 3 Haz-Mat 0 Vehicle Accidents 3 Alarm activation 4
Inspections:
1 Residential Smoke/CO
Due to an executive order by Governor Baker all inspection have been suspended by the fire department.
Staffing:
1 Fire Chief/Paramedic
2 Full time Firefighter/Paramedics
2 Full time Firefighter/EMT
2 Call Firefighter/Paramedics
4 Call Firefighter/EMT
2 Per Diem Firefighter/Paramedics
13 Total
This Month
March began with the department in the process of screening candidates to fill both a full time slot and a part time position. These interviews were conducted and completed in the first week of the month.
On March 18th Jeffrey White was appointed to the vacant full-time position. Jeffrey has 2-years of experience as a full-time officer in the town of Bolton, and is a nice fit within the department. He is very community policing oriented and should be a great addition.
On March 16th social distancing and other precautions, including closing school etc. was extended for a yet to be defined amount of time. Local business’ were closed or limited and our community changed virtually overnight. Families were told to stay home. These actions have a profound effect on policing, as well as the possibility of a member of the police department contracting the virus. This could potentially take down the department. It was for this reason that the police station as locked down and how we deal with the public was adjusted to limit exposure.
With this said my clerk, Nancy Perron, has been processing LTC renewals from home and that process continues. We have posted many of these changes on our Facebook sight in an effort to keep everyone notified.
On March 25th, 2020 the Board of Selectmen voted to call a state of emergency for the town of Hubbardston. Due to the anticipation of increases in certain types of calls I asked, and was granted, the ability to change officer’s work shifts to 12 hrs at a time with 2 officers on at all times. This was done to better protect the community and the officers working.
Statistics
- 12 arrests
- 30 citations issued
- Assisted with four motor vehicle accidents
- investigated 18 incidents
This Month
The Conservation Commission meeting was canceled for March. Our next meeting will be taking place virtually 4/7/20. Our admin attended the MSMCP Zoom meeting on how Mass DEP will be operating during the Pandemic . There will be some changes coming with Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protect (DEP) working remotely in how we file for certain procedures. Admin will make sure to follow the weekly conference calls and zoom meetings with Mass DEP to ensure that Hubbardston keeps up to date with all of the changes.
All site inspections will continue as normal as they can be completed with proper social distancing techniques. Please email all applications to Concom@hubbardstonma.us and the admin will contact a member to schedule an appointment with you.
This Month
The Board of Assessor’s is thankful for our new Administrative Assistant, Christina Sutcliffe. Christina has been able to maintain most office functions from her home office while we are living under such trying times. George Bourgault, our regional assessor is doing the same thing, working from home. Emails, phone calls, and all questions in general are being handled remotely in an effort to help keep everyone healthy.
Real estate abatements are almost completed for this year.
As the warmer weather approaches, inspection of properties that have building permits will begin.
Ongoing assessor’s activities for April, May and June include:
- Building permit inspections and review
- Motor vehicle excise
- Periodic/Cyclical property inspections.
- Reviewing real estate sales, preparing for the annual interim revaluation.
- Assessor admin training provided by RRG staff.
This Month
Your Finance Committee is monitoring the status of the Town’s finances for this fiscal year as well as its FY2021 operating and capital budget processes. We are currently on track for the vast majority of our accounts and anticipate closing within budget for June 30, thanks to the resourcefulness of our boards and departments. We are also pleased to have recommended to the Board of Selectmen the appointment of a fifth member, to fill the vacancy resulting from a member’s relocation last year and to restore our committee to full membership.
Working with our Town Administrator and our boards and departments, we will continue to advise the Board of Selectmen on matters of finance to guide the Town through the remainder of this fiscal year and to put us on responsible and sound footings for the next. We are thinking of you and yours, especially those who are in need, are first responders, are health workers, and are continuing to work and help us all. We will do our best to ensure that the Town’s resources remain available to us all in this challenging hour and we will keep you updated in these reports. Be safe and be well.
This Month
Here at the end of March, the Planning Board Office looks a little different. Working from home, the Planning Board Admin is set up and getting work done thanks to the flexibility of technology.
In March, the Planning Board Office worked on the following objectives:
- There was one Planning Board meeting in the month of January, which contained the processing of two ANR’s. To see that video please click here.
- The Planning Board was alerted to the fact that the Town was awarded the DLTA grant for the Master Plan and the Planning Board began discussions with MRPC regarding the timing and logistics of the next chapters.
- The Planning Board worked on several proposed updates to bylaws including: Earth Removal, Signs, the Planning Board Associate Member, and Solar. Discussions of these bylaw amendments were discussed with the Board of Selectmen and circulated to affected boards and will continue into April.
- The Planning Board applied for (with assistance from MRPC and the TA) for the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Grant. The grant was awarded in late March and going into April the board will be involved in the study with how the town can best respond to and prepare for climate change affects.
In addition to these items, the Planning Board Office worked on the other documentation to support Planning Board meetings.
Next Month
The Planning Board Office will continue to work on:
- Follow up with Affordable Housing RFP.
- Updating the Planning Board Website for improved information and efficiency.
- Continued involvement in the MVP grant meetings.
- Continued cooperation with MRPC and town boards to move the Master Plan forward.
- Improved remote efficiency.
- Sign bylaw updates.
- Working on warrant articles for the Town Meeting.
This Month
The building department saw a busy March with home renovation permits starting to roll in, we issued a total of 7 permits for building in the month of March. In addition to the permits that have been issued we have two residential solar projects under review.
While offices are closed to the public with the COVID-19 pandemic the Building Department is still fully operational! Please email all permit applications to Inspect@Hubbardstonma.us or Mail them to 7 Main Street Box 2 Hubbardston MA 01452. We will process them as normal and issue permit cards once approved.
To protect our inspectors all of our inspections are taking place virtually via Facetime. Once requested you will be given a time slot to call into our inspectors who will the walk you through your inspection. Inspectors will give clear instructions on what they need to see please make sure to move slow and listen to directions!
The inspectors will be working reduced hours; all inspections will be taking place between 8AM-1PM. We appreciate your patience as a very hands on department navigates the world of virtual inspections!
This Month – Board of Health
The Board of Health continues to work with the state and regional health organizations to be prepared for what to do when Hubbardston has COVID cases. Our clerk is working remotely most of the time (for more information on day-to-day activities, see below). Our Chair, Cathy Hansgate, reviewed safety and cleaning procedures with our five commercial shops twice, and found them to be correctly following the guidelines. All septic projects have been witnessed in a timely manner (with proper social distancing).
The Recycling Center will remain closed in April. All kitchen and commercial food inspections are being postponed for at least a month. You can check the town's website for updates as they become available.
Our next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 14 and will be done remotely.
This Month – Health Office
The Board of Health admin has been busy keeping up with all the new emerging info on COVID-19. The admin is attending daily conference calls with Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) other state entities, working closely with the Montachusett Public Health Network (the MPHN serves as our public nurse) and working with the Health and Medical Coordinating Coalitions and DPH, sending requests for PPE’s for our First Responder’s and Emergency Personnel.
While COVID-19 has consumed most of the health department’s time, we are still moving forward with normal office procedures to the best of our ability. All bi-annual food inspections have been put on hold at this time. We are still moving forward with all septic repair/installation inspections when possible and safe.
Admin has also been working on bring to our Community Septic Loan Program up to date. At this time all applications and procedure documents are ready for review and approval from our Board of Health Members. Once voting is complete, we will be able to move forward with offering the program. Please feel free to reach out with any questions to Health@hubbardstonma.us.
This Month
All of the recipients of grants for FY20 have been notified of their grant amounts. Many received less than they asked for because we only had so much grant money to award. None of the recipients complained or requested an adjustment of the service they plan to provide.
This year many of the arts, educational and cultural activities will be presented at either the Hubbardston Fair in June or the Hubbardston Field Day in September. However, other grantees will perform at the Library or the Center School. The grantees are responsible for promoting their events but the Cultural Council in cooperation with the Hubbardston Police Department will also use the reader board at the Recreation Field to advertise these activities. In the event a program has to be rescheduled, we shall do our best to make residents aware of changes.
This Month
The Parks Commission this month out of an abundance of caution close all playground equipment, athletic courts and the skate park. This difficult decision was supported by the Board of Health, Board of Selectmen and the Town Administrator. These facilities will remain closed until May 4, 2020.
Please note the Curtis Recreational Fields remain open for use by residents looking to get some fresh air. Please note gatherings or any kind are prohibited and all guests must adhere to social-distancing standards. The Parks Commission would also like to remind residents that the many recreational opportunities remain a great and safe place to hike, run, bike and fish!
Please note this year's Easter Egg Hunt and Keep Hubbardston Beautiful Town Clean Up are postponed until further notice due to the COVID-19 outbreak..
About Us
Email: admin@hubbardstonma.us
Website: www.hubbardstonma.us
Location: 7 Main Street, Hubbardston, MA, USA
Phone: 978-928-1400
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TownofHubbardston/
Twitter: @hubbardstonma