The City Council held its first remote meeting Thursday, and took questions from the public through Facebook Live and Zoom. Chance Viles / American Journal
WESTBROOK — City schools will remain closed until April 27, all city recreational facilities are off limits and the city’s state of emergency has been extended indefinitely, Mayor Mike Foley announced Friday
The measures were taken as the city reports that a second resident is presumed to have been infected with the coronavirus.
“We have one confirmed case and one presumptive, so we are really focusing on behaviors such as social distancing and hygiene,” Fire Chief and Health Officer Andrew Turcotte said during the update on Facebook Live.
Riverbank Park will be open, but no one is allowed to use the playground equipment. School playgrounds and playing fields are also closed to the public.
School meals will continue to be distributed to students, but starting Monday there will be only one pick-up point, the Westbrook Regional Vocational Center.
“For families who cannot pick up meals, we are also working on delivering them. If you go on our school site, there is a simple form asking about how many meals are needed and dietary restrictions,” Superintendent Peter Lancia said during the update.
Lancia said teachers and staff “outdid themselves” in designing remote learning programs for the students during the shutdown.
“Classes are doing things like morning meetings via Google Hangout … (and there are) people reading books aloud and interacting. I saw a video of some students working on a project over Facetime. Outstanding things have been going on,” he said.
The Westbrook Community Center is closed, but the General Assistance office will be open by appointment only “or over the phone whenever possible,” according to community center Director Greg Post.
The Westbrook Food Pantry at the community center be open on Tuesdays from noon to 2 p.m. and from 5-7 p.m. Volunteers will be stationed at exterior door No. 25, at the front of the building, and will provide Westbrook residents with pre-packaged bags of food.
Meals on Wheels will continue to deliver prepared meals to homebound older adults in the Westbrook and Portland communities.
The City Council held its first remote meeting using Zoom and Facebook Live on Thursday night. It voted to extend the city’s state of emergency and building closures indefinitely, in line with the state’s emergency declaration.
The council also adopted new rules to allow its public meetings to be held online. The city hopes to extend remote access to the School Committee and Planning Board so regular business, including upcoming presentations on budgets for the next fiscal year, can continue.
State legislation allows municipalities to hold remote meetings until the state’s state of emergency related to the coronavirus expires.
“I feel like we’ve done a months worth of action within days. Things are fast, and we will continue to update people on our announcements,” Foley said.
This story will be updated.
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