In an effort to maintain the health of the public and Village staff, and consistent with our county and state partners who are taking similar actions in response to the spread of COVID-19, effective at least through Friday, March 27, 2020, the Village has implemented the following:

• The Village Hall is closed to public access. Only police department and Communications Center have access to the Hall. (The U.S. Postal Service will issue directives regarding access to the Post Office). The Village Hall has received a thorough cleaning and sanitizing by our janitorial contractor.
• All non-essential personnel (administrative office and Public Works Department) are operating under a telework schedule, and are continuing to monitor and respond to emails and are returning calls left on their extension.
• All classes, events and activities in the Hall are canceled.
• Special pick-ups are suspended for Wednesday, March 18 and Wednesday, March 25.
• Yard waste collection is suspended and is expected to resume the week of Monday, March 30.  Residents are encouraged to have their contractors take a break from leaf blowing.  Neighbors who are hunkered down at home will appreciate the reduction in noise.
• At this time, refuse and recycling collection are not impacted and will continue normally; HOWEVER, if Montgomery County closes its Transfer Station, refuse collection will be suspended.  No closures are anticipated at this time.
• All previously-issued permits that are set to expire before March 27 are extended through Friday, April 3, 2020.
• All new applications for administrative permits (Building, Tree Removal, Dumpster, Sign) must be submitted online. These applications and permits will be reviewed remotely by staff and applicants will receive further follow-up by email/phone.
• All forms for new parking permits must be submitted online. Once processed, Communications Center personnel will maintain a log of approved permits that are pending issuance of the decal/permit for reference by Village patrol officers. Permits/decals will be provided to the applicant when the Village Hall reopens.
• Mail pick-ups—Village Police are continuing our house check program as usual, however, residents are encouraged to contact the U.S. Postal Service to have mail stopped while you are away. If our officers collect mail during a house check, residents will continue to receive a notice that mail has been collected.
  
  If you receive a notice that mail has been collected during your absence, please call BEFORE coming to the Hall. In anticipation of your arrival, Communications personnel will bundle the mail in a bag. Upon your arrival at the Hall, press the doorbell at the main entrance to speak with the on-duty clerk, who will ask you to present your photo ID in front of the camera located on the porch. Once photo ID has been confirmed, the on-duty clerk will electronically open the door to allow you to retrieve your mail.
• Key Pick-Up/Drop-Off—where practical, residents are encouraged to call BEFORE coming to the Hall. Upon your arrival at the Hall, press the doorbell at the main entrance to speak with the on-duty clerk who will ask you to present your photo ID in front of the camera located on the porch. Once photo ID has been confirmed, the on-duty clerk will electronically open the door to allow you to retrieve/leave your house key.
• The April 2 deadline for candidates seeking election to the Board of Managers remains. Candidates who intend to submit their Certificate of Candidacy and Financial Disclosure Statement should call ahead (301-654-7300) and leave a message for the Village Manager, who will coordinate with the candidate regarding submission of the required documents.

Updates and changes to these service modifications, including any extension of these closures, will be circulated via blast email and posted to the homepage of the Village’s website.

Additional impacts:

Primary Election Rescheduled— The Primary Election in Maryland has been postponed.  The county’s Board of Elections has set June 2, 2020 as the new Primary Election date; however, we are awaiting confirmation as to whether the election will be held “in person”.

IRS Filing, Payment Deadlines Extended— As of Friday, March 20, the Internal Revenue Service’s filing and payment deadlines for 2019 federal individual and corporate income taxes have been extended to July 15, 2020.  The State of Maryland has also extended its filing and payment deadline to July 15 for individual and corporate income tax.

Village officers who will continue to interact with the public are adhering to prevention efforts, including politely avoiding handshakes, maintaining social distance, sanitizing vehicles and work spaces, and staying home when feeling ill.

Thank you for your understanding and support as we have taken steps to protect our staff, and the community and public we serve, by closing down the Village Hall and placing eligible employees in a telework status. A special thanks to our police and Communications Center personnel who have continued to report to work every day to ensure continued public safety operations.

As a member of the Montgomery County Emergency Management Group, Village staff is continuing to receive frequent updates from various county agencies, including the Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS), and federal agencies including the Centers for Disease Control.

Residents should stay informed. Below is a list of website resources (some of these sites provide redundant information):

Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/

Maryland Department of Health
https://phpa.health.maryland.gov/Pages/Novel-coronavirus.aspx

Montgomery County Department of Health & Human Services
https://montgomerycountymd.gov/HHS/RightNav/Coronavirus.html

U.S. State Department Travel Advisories (specific to COVID-19)
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/ea/novel-coronavirus-hubei-province--china.html

U. S. State Department Travel Advisories (general)
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/

Should you or a member of your household believe that you have symptoms (fever and cough) or if you have been in close contact with a person who has been diagnosed with COVID-19, you should call your health care practitioner or the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services’ Disease Control Office to speak with a nurse at (240) 777-1755. If you are unable to get through, call the state’s Infectious Disease Bureau at (410) 767-6700 (daytime) or (410) 795-7365 (after-hours).