Uptick in COVID-19 cases may postpone Grafton Town Meeting
For his first Town Meeting on October 19, new Town Moderator Dan Concaugh has been adamant about the venue: he wants it held inside Grafton High School, where he insists it can be safely held without spreading COVID-19.
That may change after both the Select Board and Finance Committee on Thursday urged him to reconsider, citing a recent uptick in local cases and the risk of creating a “superspreader” event.
“I’ve made the decision… I’m very concerned but I think this is the best option without wasting taxpayer money,” said Concaugh, who added that he spoke to people in town and doctors about the scenario. “I looked at it, we have great ventilation in the gym.”
Back in June, the delayed spring Town Meeting was held outdoors on the Grafton High School football field, with the town footing the bill for rented chairs, tables and staging, Jumbotron, and sound equipment. Indoor seating in the gym was provided for accessibility and heat relief.
Concaugh’s plan calls for Town Meeting to be centered in the GHS gym, which can accommodate 150 socially distanced seats. Doors would be open for ventilation, the commons area would be used for registration, and the auditorium could be used for limited overflow. Masks would be required and sanitizers and additional masks would also be available.
Select Board member Colleen Roy expressed concern that Concaugh had not consulted the Board of Health. Grafton has had five new positive cases in the past 14 days — including two involving North Street Elementary School — while surrounding towns are seeing even higher rates.
While Concaugh said he could easily postpone the meeting as late as Monday, the day of the meeting, he was urged to speak with health officials and decide Friday morning.
Finance Committee member Gopal Shanoy worried that Concaugh was more concerned about cost than the pandemic.
“Given the times that we are living in, are there concerns that we cannot afford to keep our residents safe?” he asked.
“I have a significant concern that we are not providing access,” Select Board member Mat Often said. Both the Finance Committee and the Select Board have member who will not be attending Town Meeting because of COVID-19 concerns.
Select Board member Ed Prisby said he’s among those considering not attending the meeting. In his everyday life, he practices social distancing, masking and staying out of crowds out of concern for his family.
“We’re not low risk because there is something special about Grafton,” he said. “We’re low risk because we’ve avoided these super-spreader occasions.”
After Select Board Chair Peter Carlson suggested a roll call of the boards to see if anyone favored an indoor Town Meeting, the overwhelming response was no.
It was a non-binding vote, however — by law, only Concaugh can make the decision.
“I did not get a lot of this input until the last couple days,” he said.
