From the nine weeks since the COVID-19 shutdown started, Norwell expects to receive more than $150,000 in reimbursement. Town Administrator Peter Morin says they’ve been tracking expenses related to the pandemic.
He said the town has experience in tracking expenses due to snowstorms and other natural disasters.
“Public health expenses that are delineated, acquisition and distribution of medical and protective supplies, sanitizing products, and personal protective equipment,” said Morin. “We have also disinfected public areas and other facilities. We have incurred some public safety costs related to measures undertaken in response to COVID.”
Payroll expenses, paid family/medical leave, and food deliveries to residents are also included in expenses that can be reimbursed.
“We’ve had significant purchases of laptops and other equipment to allow us to conduct business remotely. We had no capacity, quite frankly, to do remote conduct of business the week before March 16,” said Morin. “We developed it rapidly and it’s worked very well. We will be seeking reimbursement for the equipment that we bought pursuant to that.”
Norwell has received $15,500 from the federal government for an initial response to COVID-19. That money will be directed towards purchases of PPE for public employees. It’s expected the town would receive more than $150,000 in reimbursement.
