Dear Residents,
Unfortunately, Madison developed 6 new COVID-19 positive cases over the past week, leading us to a total of 167 cases. Any new case indicates that we are still experiencing community spread and reminds us to exercise social distancing, wear a mask in public when distancing is not possible, and wash our hands frequently. Although this is disheartening, our state overall continues to report a downward trend in active cases and is taking appropriate actions to prevent resurgence.
Travel Advisory
The Governor announced earlier this week the strengthening of the travel advisory order for anyone entering Connecticut from states with high infection rates. The order makes the travel advisory mandatory and failure to comply results in a possible $1,000 penalty imposed by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH). Travelers will now be required to complete a form upon entry into Connecticut stating their name, date of birth, state of origin, estimated length of stay and location while in Connecticut, as well as their contact information. The form is required to be submitted to DPH and can be completed online by visiting ct.gov/travelform. The number of states now identified as high risk has risen to 31 and can be found at https://portal.ct.gov/Coronavirus/travel.
Nite In Hand
I want to alert the public that this Saturday evening, July 25th there will be a “Night in Hand” event held at the Surf Club to send off the senior class of 2020. The event will include a car parade starting at the Town Green around 7 p.m. and end at the Surf Club, followed by a drive-in movie style celebration. Please note all attendees will be required to stay in their cars throughout the event and wear masks. The event will be staffed with over 40 parent volunteers and additional public safety personnel.
In order to accommodate this special event, cars entering the Surf Club parking lot this Saturday after 5 p.m. must have a beach parking sticker on their vehicle, and park their car in the front lot or the grass lot near the skate park. This means that available parking will be severely limited and some cars may be turned away at the gate. If you parked your car in the rear lot prior to 5 p.m. and intend on staying at the beach into the evening, we ask that you move your vehicle by 7:15 pm to another parking area to accommodate the arrival of the graduates. In addition, the Garvin Point Picnic area will be closing at 6 p.m. for this event. Please make your beach and picnicking plans accordingly.
Presidential Primary Election
I also want to remind residents that on Tuesday, August 11th the town will hold a presidential primary election. You need to be a registered Republican or Democrat to vote in your respective party primary. By the end of June, all registered Democratic and Republican voters should have received an Application for Absentee Ballot from the Secretary of the State. If you do not wish to vote in person at your polling location, please complete the application and either mail it in the envelope provided, or drop it outside Town Campus in the designated Town Clerk drop box during business hours. For additional details, please visit the Town Clerk’s website at https://www.madisonct.org/elections. If you wish to vote in person, please note that due to social distancing requirements the District 1 polling location has changed from the Senior Center to Polson Middle School gymnasium. District 2 remains at Brown Intermediate School.
Beach Policies
As communicated previously, we are continually refining our beach policies to adapt to changing dynamics. Last Friday, I signed an Executive Order that establishes visitor capacity restrictions at our beaches, instructs the local traffic authority to limit on-street parking to Town residents only on designated accessory roads (proof of residency for parking purposes can include a Town of Madison 2020 Beach Parking sticker), and extends the Executive Order that limits beach parking to residents only on weekends and holidays from July 31st to September 9th. We will continue to evaluate and make additional improvements throughout the summer.
Let’s stay safe and healthy Madison.
Kind Regards,
Peggy Lyons
First Selectwoman