During Thursday’s Montgomery Town Board meeting Supervisor Brian Maher discussed the potential of opening Town Hall to the public during phase two of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s plan to reopen the state’s economy.

With the Mid-Hudson Valley entering phase one on Tuesday, the region hopes to launch into phase two by mid-June.
“We’re making a bunch of different improvements,” Maher said.

One of the new additions to Town Hall would include the hiring of an employee that would be stationed by the entrance. Behind fiberglass protection, this worker would take people’s temperatures and keep a log of those who enter the building in addition to the departments they go to.
“Internally that’s going to be great for us because we can kinda gauge a little bit as far as what people come in for what department,” Maher said. “That’s just good information to have.”

The town clerk’s office will also be retrofitted with fiberglass protection. Employees as well as the public would be mandated to be six feet apart from each other, wear masks and wash their hands and faces constantly. Only one member of the public would be allowed in the town clerk and tax collector’s offices at a time. Spots would be taped on the floor six feet apart to socially distance people.

An employee from the assessor’s office would also interact with residents from behind fiberglass protection on the first floor, as the assessor’s office can be difficult to navigate.

Maher will keep the Town Board updated as phase two draws closer.

Other businesses set to reopen during phase two include professional services such as hair salons, finance and insurance, retail, administrative support, real estate and rental leasing.