Due to the threat of coronavirus, the Board of Selectmen had a rather unusual meeting on Tuesday night as Jim Munise, Peter Teitelbaum, and Alan Slavin joined the meeting remotely. The group approved two new funding measures to allow the town to respond to the threat of covid-19.

First, the board voted to invoke a section of Massachusetts general law to allow emergency spending by the Board of Health, Health Department, Municipal Maintenance Department, and the public safety departments in town in excess of appropriated funds.

This action allows the departments to spend funds beyond that approved in their budgets to combat the spread of the virus, under the supervision of Town Administrator Derek Sullivan.

Sullivan also asked for approval to spend the remaining balance of the reserve fund -- $35,500 -- for cleaning supplies and other expenses related to the coronavirus.