Dresden selectmen on March 17 approved a five-point protocol to limit public exposure to COVID-19. The meeting was closed to the public except for the press.

Effective through the end of March, the town office will be closed to the public. Staff will maintain regular hours and be available during business hours to answer questions by phone or online. Vehicle re-registration, hunting and fishing licenses and property tax payments may be made online or by mail. No interest on late property taxes due April 1 will be charged until May 1, according to Town Administrator Michael Henderson.

All non-urgent committee meetings or other gatherings scheduled for Pownalborough Hall have been canceled until furthur notice.

The special election for first selectman will go ahead April 7, but residents are encouraged to vote by absentee ballot. The ballots will be mailed out if requested from the town office, said Henderson. Candidates night has been canceled. Polls are open 4-8 p.m. April 7 at Pownalborough Hall. “We will let people in a few at a time and have them exit by the back  door,” said Selectman Gerald Lilly.

Normal hours will be held at the transfer station, but only two attendants will be on duty. Those with virus symptoms are urged to stay home. The swap shop will not be open and no drop offs accepted. “The swap shop ladies should be considered vulnerable,” said Lilly.

Lilly suggested firefighters not congregate at the fire station. If equipment needs testing, it should be done with minimum members, he said.

“There will no non-essential meetings,” said Lilly. Residents are encouraged to follow precautions outlined by the Center for Disease Control, said Henderson. The board plans to meet Tuesday, March 31 to see if the protocols need to be extended.

In other business, the approved a contract with David Ledew of Monmouth to serve as assessor’s agent. The contract calls for 22 hours per month with one day set aside for meeting with the public. The board asked Henederson to prepare a request for proposals for the Inge Foster Town Landing project.