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Milton cancels town council actions and public hearings

April 29, 2020

Milton Mayor Ted Kanakos has issued a proclamation declaring a civil emergency and postponing all town council actions and public hearings.

Kanakos’ proclamation, posted at Town Hall, was made in light of Gov. John Carney’s state of emergency because of the spread of COVID-19, along with President Donald Trump’s declaration of a national emergency, which occurred in mid-March. Town offices have been closed to the public since those announcements.

Since the March declarations, the town has no longer been able to hold in-person public meetings. Alternative venues such as Milton library, Milton Theatre and Town Hall were all closed. 

Kanakos’s declaration of a civil emergency officially said “all of the orders, conditions, and regulations promulgated in the governor's declaration and all of its subsequent modifications are, have been, and will be in the case of modifications made after that date of the proclamation, effective within the town of Milton.”

The declaration then orders all meetings and public hearings that cannot be held electronically be suspended until Carney’s state of emergency is lifted or public gatherings are allowed “to accommodate transparent meeting conduct and full public participation.” 

Milton commissions and committees have not met since the original state of emergency, March 13, except for the Planning and Zoning Commission, which has twice met through video/teleconference. The next committee scheduled to meet is the Historic Preservation Committee, scheduled for Tuesday, May 12. An agenda has not been released. 

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