Wayland Select Board declares local state of emergency over coronavirus

WAYLAND -- March 16, 2020, Wayland Select Board declares local state of emergency and moves to postpone its March 31 town election. Meeting six feet apart in the Council on Aging room, the board voted 5-0 Monday night to invoke Chapter 58, Section 3 of the town code and authorized Town Administrator Louise to pursue both an emergency court order and a governor's bill to move the election to an outside date of October 13, while temporarily decoupling Wayland's bylaw requirement that the election and annual town meeting fall within seven days. The board's chair, identified as Cherry, recused herself as a candidate for re-election; Vice-Chair Doug ran that portion, calling the moment "a state of emergency … in Wayland as it is everywhere else." Members also backed Moderator Dennis signing a notice of intent to recess the April 5 town meeting and signed the warrant Monday night. The town has closed schools, the library, fields and playgrounds, restricted town-building access to appointments, and stood up hotlines at 508-358-6805 and 508-358-7701.