Tisbury selectmen extend stay-at-home order

The Tisbury board of selectmen has approved updated guidelines that will allow house cleaners to go back to work and seasonal restaurants to open up for takeout after appropriate inspections.

During a Monday morning meeting, the board also extended the town’s stay-at-home order through May 18 to coincide with Gov. Charlie Baker’s recent decision to extend the state’s stay-at-home advisory. The town’s order, which is stricter than the governor’s order, was scheduled to expire at 5 pm Monday.

Monday’s votes were aligned with votes taken by the board of health on Friday.

As of next Monday, May 11, five-person crews will be allowed on job sites. If they’re working inside a home, the homeowner can be there, but has to stay in another part of the house, Ross Seavey, the town’s building commissioner, said. 

There are guidelines in place for social distancing, as well as the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Hand-washing stations are also required.

Seavey told selectmen the first week of one- and two-person crews at job sites went well, although some had to be inspected a second time to be brought into compliance. There were instances where landscaping crews had to be reminded that only two people could be working on the same property and some contractors had to be advised that riding together to a job site is prohibited under the guidelines. It also requires filling out a wellness questionnaire.

“Everyone seemed positive. It was really a week of education for everyone as well,” Seavey said. “We had that really good week of education and this week is going to be education and enforcement to really kind of hammer home the importance of following these guidelines for everybody’s safety.”

If all goes well, by May 18 there will be Phase 2 guidelines, Maura Valley, the town’s health agent, told the board. She said if there is any evidence that the spread of the virus is worsening, the construction moratorium can be reinstated.

Valley assured selectman Jeff Kristal that inspectors would work with restaurant owners so they could open safely and not nitpick items having to do with sit-down customers at this time.

“It’s the creep back to a little bit of normalcy but with some safety precautions in place,” Seavey said. “A lot of this is somewhat of the new normal.”