Yorktown to Limit Spending to Essential/COVID-19 Services
Yorktown Supervisor Matt Slater announced Friday the town will limit municipal spending to essential services and COVID-19—related efforts.
As of Friday night, Slater reported there were eight confirmed cases of coronavirus in Yorktown. That number is expected to increase with expanded testing capabilities.
“Given the extraordinary fiscal challenges that we will face in the coming months, it’s prudent to tighten our belts now to prepare for the economic storm heading our way,” Slater said.
The Town Board’s meetings remain cancelled. The local emergency declaration issued last week allows the town government to implement any policies as needed.
Yorktown’s public-health safety measures include:
- The Nutrition Center will be closed until April 1. Staff will be enhancing the meals on wheels program to deliver to seniors who rely on town services.
- All extracurricular activity at the Albert A. Capellini Community and Cultural Center will be suspended until April 1
- Staff who enter occupied homes for inspections or repairs will only do so for emergencies until April 1.
- The John C. Hart Memorial Library will limit its capacity during operating hours and will close on Sundays until April 1.
- Yorktown Stage will close through April 1 and their production of The Sound of Music scheduled for the end of April is cancelled.
- SOAC Basketball’s season finale scheduled for next week is postponed to an undetermined date in April.
- Maple Weekends at Hilltop Hanover Farm and White Oak Farm on March 21, 22, 28 and 29 are cancelled.
- Hilltop Hanover Farm’s Pancake Breakfasts are cancelled.
- The housing voucher program (Section 8) at the Capellini center will only accept mailed applications.
- Cleaning in Town Hall of doorknobs, handrails and light fixtures four times a day.
- For any/all inspections needed to be completed to continue construction, the building department will accept a letter from any design profession with pictures.
- The Water Department is splitting its staff into two groups, a regular shift (6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.) will have six workers and a second shift (3 to 11 p.m.) will have three workers.
- Sewer Department daily activities will be limited to tasks required to keep our facilities in regular working order, i.e. preventive maintenance, repair, inspection and related work tasks.
- Any employee who is out of the country will be put on a two-week paid administrative leave before returning to work.
“This situation is very fluid, and frankly, unprecedented. Information has changed several times making it that much harder to provide accurate material for dissemination,” Slater said. “The town will remain proactive in communication with the public and transmit accurate and appropriate information to our staff.”
Town officials are also asking members of the community to support their neighbors with donations. The public can send monetary donations to support the Yorktown Senior Center and Meals on Wheels program (which is now serving more than 100 homebound seniors). Checks should be made out to Town of Yorktown Senior Programs and sent to the Yorktown Senior Center at 1974 Commerce Street, Attn: Noreen O’Driscoll.
Meanwhile, Yorktown has established a medical supplies drop box in the courtyard between the Yorktown Police Department and Courthouse. Anyone with PPEs (gloves, gowns and masks) is asked to consider donating them. These donated supplies will be distributed to frontline/first responders.
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/