MONROE, Conn. — Monroe now has four confirmed COVID-19 cases. While First Selectman Ken Kellogg continues to post regular updates on the town website, he is reserving town-wide alert systems like CodeRed for major emergencies and directives during the global pandemic.
“We should expect the number is going to go up. It’s in Fairfield County,” he said of local cases Thursday. “It just reinforces that we should do our part in social distancing. Obviously, if there were some dramatic change in the number of cases, I would inform the town, but otherwise, I will update the website.”
According to the last update Kellogg made on the town’s website, as of this Thursday evening, there are 1,012 cases in Connecticut and 607 in Fairfield County.
Since Town Hall was closed for routine access by the public last Friday, a drop off mailbox was placed in the lobby of the Monroe Police Department to allow people to deliver letters and documents to town departments.
On Thursday afternoon, Stephen Wolf, who is in charged of maintaining the town’s buildings, secured the mailbox in place.
“It’s working well,” said Richard Schultz, the town planner, adding it the mailbox was in place for two days.
Inside Town Hall, Kellogg said employees have been practicing social distancing, allowing one person into an office at a time and putting tape on the floor to mark off six feet, so they know where to stand.
Remote Board of Finance meeting
Tonight, the Board of Finance’s budget workshop will be held remotely via GoToMeeting.
It starts at 6 p.m. and the public can access it, in audio only, using a computer, tablet or smartphone. Click on this link or dial in by calling 1-872-240-3212 and entering the access code: 956-642-173.
The total $91.5 million town budget proposal for fiscal year 2020-21 carries a projected 2.6 percent tax increase. It includes $59.5 million for education and $31.9 million for town services.
Currently, the proposal represents a 4.01 percent spending increase for Monroe’s schools and 0.6 percent for town services.
There will be no budget referendum this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Gov. Ned Lamont issued an executive order requiring a municipality’s “budget-making authority,” in Monroe’s case the Board of Finance, to adopt a final budget and set the tax rate.
Board of Finance Chairman Michael Manjos and Kellogg said the board will accept public input throughout the process.
