By LEE J. KAHRS
BRANDON — Town managers who were told last week to pull their road crews off routine maintenance because of the COVID-19 pandemic are now getting word that it is OK to send their workers back on the road.
Gov. Phil Scott started easing some restrictions to the Stay Home, Stay Safe pandemic directive, effective Monday, April 20.
Much like the email that all town managers received last week, the Agency of Commerce and Community Development has issued another missive detailing the new directive.
“As we move forward, businesses and employees must understand that how they work is essential to resuming and maintaining business operations,” the email read. “Preventing outbreaks and limit- ing the spread of COVID-19 is the only way to avoid future business and social disruption. The success of this phased restart will depend in large part on the ability of employers and employees to adhere to the public health, safety, and social distancing measures essential to limiting the spread of illness.”
Brandon Town Manager Dave Atherton already had social distancing measures in place before the crew was told to stop work- ing as of Monday, April 13. Each worker was given a town truck to use to prevent workers from traveling together, and each employee worked independently on the job.
Under “Outdoor Businesses and Construction Operations” are the following guidelines for roads crews, landscapers, construction workers and other workers with outdoor vocations:
• Those who exclusively or largely work outdoors (such as civil engineering, site work, exterior construction, skilled trades, public works, energy and utility work, mining, forestry, environmental monitoring, landscaping, painting, tree work, parks maintenance, delivery work, etc.) may resume operations with a maximum of two workers per location/job.
• Interior construction may occur in unoccupied structures, adhering to social distancing standards, with no more than two workers maintaining social distance between them whenever possible.
• Supporting services that were not previously deemed essential may resume operations with the minimum number of employees necessary to support curbside pick-up and delivery services; adherence to the mandatory health and safety requirements.
