Published March 18, 2020
WAKEFIELD — In an emergency meeting conducted by telephone this morning, the Town Council declared a state of emergency in Wakefield.
Chairman Edward Dombroski called the move “a prudent step” to ensure that emergency resources will be available to the town.
“I conveyed an emergency Town Council meeting that was held at 9 a.m. this morning via telephone conference,” Dombroski said. “Six of the seven Councilors participated, as did Town Administrator Steve Maio, Clerk Sherri Dalton and Town Counsel Tom Mullen.
“The purpose of the meeting was to approve an Emergency Declaration for the Town of Wakefield. The vote was 6-0 in favor and I have since signed the Emergency Declaration,” Dombroski added.
According to Dombroski, this action was proactively taken, given the current status of the COVID-19 pandemic, following ongoing consultation with Town Administrator Stephen Maio, Health Director Ruth Clay and Emergency Management Director Tom Walsh.
“During these unprecedented times, this Declaration presented as a prudent next step in ensuring the health and safety of our Wakefield residents now and into the future,” Dombroski said.
“It is my hope that this Declaration will even better position us to meet ongoing needs of our community and ensure resources at the federal and state level during this pandemic and beyond, as necessary, be in it the form of funding, support or supplies. I expect a number of other communities may take similar action in the days and weeks ahead.
“We have an incredible response team coordinated under Town Administrator Maio that is in constant communication, taking necessary steps to stay ahead of this situation for Wakefield.
“Today’s emergency meeting also provided an update to the Council on immediate measures being implemented for remote participation and modified public participation in meetings of the Town Council and Council-appointed committees, commissions, and boards. Further information on those changes is being released to the public today,” Dombroski said.
Dombroski also noted that at an emergency meeting held last night, the Board of Health also issued its own emergency declaration that will close businesses like hair salons, nail salons, massage parlors and other operations that require people to be in close proximity to each other.
Text of Emergency Declaration for the Town of Wakefield
WHEREAS, a sudden, generally unexpected occurrence or set of circumstances
demanding immediate public action has arisen within the Town of Wakefield which
incident it generally describes as follows; and
WHEREAS, a novel strain of coronavirus known as COVID-19 was detected and has
continued to spread throughout the world, including to the United States and the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts and increasing “community spread” of growing,
uncertain magnitude; and
WHEREAS the United States Department of Health and Human Services declared a
Public Health Emergency, the World Health Organization has declared COVID-19 a
pandemic, and the Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has declared a
State of Emergency for Massachusetts; and
WHEREAS, the Federal, state, and local governments are working together to
contain the further spread of the disease, treat existing cases, and mitigate the
further impact of COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, the Wakefield Town Council upon advice of the Director of the Town of
Wakefield’s Office of Emergency Management has determined that the aforesaid
incident poses a present and reasonable imminent danger to public health, safety,
or general welfare of the people or their property so that it has become necessary
for the Director to utilize and coordinate the services, equipment, supplies, and
facilities of existing departments, offices and agencies of the Town for the purposes
of civil defense/emergency management and emergency functions; and
WHEREAS, the Wakefield Town Council has determined that immediate public action
is needed to prevent, minimize, or mitigate damage to the public health, safety, or
general welfare of the people of Wakefield or their property which may otherwise
result from the above-described incident and that taking the time required to
comply with the various state and local procurement laws would endanger the
health or safety of the people or their property; and
WHEREAS, the Wakefield Town Council had recommended that state of emergency
be declared in the Town of Wakefield; and
WHEREAS, the people of the Town of Wakefield should be able to depend upon
guidance from their chief executive officer, Stephen P. Maio.
NOW THEREFORE, the Town Council of the Town of Wakefield, Massachusetts,
hereby declares that as of Monday, March 16, 2020 a state of emergency exists in
the Town of Wakefield. This declaration of emergency shall remain in effect until
further notice is given, pursuant to a vote by the Town Council, that the state of
emergency no longer exists.
