The May 26 reopening of Town Hall had been carefully thought out by town administration. Employees would arrive at 8 a.m. for temperature checks, and the building would open a half-hour later to the public, with signage to inform everyone to don a mask and sanitize their hands before entering the reception area.
But according to a notice posted on the town website May 29, some Harvard residents had their own ideas. When 8 a.m. rolled around on the first day of the scheduled opening, a number of residents arrived at the door and argued to be let in because they didn’t have time to wait until 8:30. During the week, people came in without masks, and the hand sanitizer provided by the town looked like it had barely been touched.
The notice went on to say that behavior from uncooperative residents made employees increasingly nervous as the days went on, and doing their jobs while trying to enforce the safety protocols that had been put into place proved difficult.
As a result, starting June 1 and until further notice, Town Hall is open to the public by appointment only. Appointments must be made at least 24 hours in advance and are available Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Residents with appointments will be met at the door and escorted into the building. Masks must be worn, social distancing is required, and hands must be sanitized prior to entering the reception area. Hand sanitizer is available in the lobby.
Town Administrator Tim Bragan told the Select Board at its June 2 meeting that things were going more smoothly at Town Hall this week with the appointment-only system. The town continues to request that residents use online services, mail, or the drop-box outside Town Hall to conduct business with the town whenever possible.
