Rehoboth Selectmen Split on Town Hall Mask Policy

Town employees who have not been vaccinated will be required to wear a mask or face covering. Vaccinated employees will be allowed to go maskless. The Board of Selectmen approved the policy 3-2 on Monday. Members of the public who have not been vaccinated will be required to wear masks as well. Those who have been vaccinated can go maskless if they choose.

Chairman Skip Vadnais, Jim Muri, and George Solas voted yes, with Dave Perry and Michael Deignan in opposition. Solas said seeing town employees wearing masks would give him “a sense of protection.” “People need to take some personal responsibility for their actions and choices in life,” said Deignan, who revealed he has not been vaccinated.

Town Hall will be reopening to the public after the state of emergency is lifted by Governor Charlie Baker. However, there will be modifications made to the building in an effort to protect public health and to provide greater security to individual departments. The lobby area will be turned into a vestibule. Everything will be paid for with CARES funding.

Vadnais said no decisions have been made about reopening other town buildings. The board has not yet decided on meeting requirements for town boards and committees. Former selectman Gerry Schwall told the board that 46 percent of the town’s population has received at least one vaccine dose. 36 percent have been fully vaccinated. Schwall said vaccinations for residents between the ages of 20 through 49 were “lagging significantly.” The town’s vaccination clinic at Anawan Pharmacy is still operational, according to Schwall.  

The town has seen an uptick in new Covid infections. 26 positive cases were reported in the two week period ending May 18. Rehoboth is now classified as yellow. The daily positivity rate was 4.08 percent. Schwall explained once the state’s mask mandate expires at the end of the month, there will be a spike in new Covid infections among the younger population. “You’re going to have this ebb and flow of the cases,” Schwall said. “My recommendation to the board is to proceed cautiously.”