Spiegel Pittsford Community Center: building is open 8:00am - 5:00pm Monday through Friday and during program hours evenings and weekends. Senior "Grab N Go" meals will continue every Wednesday and Friday; pickup is at the bus loop behind the Community Center. Registration for low-risk activities and virtual programs begins in advance of each session; see Program Info & Registration link at www.townofpittsford.org/home-recreation. Programs will continue to open as we receive further guidance.
Pittsford Community Library: the Library is now open for limited hours and services; enter from the parking lot entrance. Curbside pickup is available on Saturdays. The Library also has many online resources, programs and activities for all ages to enjoy. For current Library hours, services, resources, and other updates, visit the Library's update page at www.bit.ly/pclupdates. For virtual children’s programming, visit the Library’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/PittsfordLibrary/. The Book Drop return area is open; please only deposit returned books, donations are not being accepted at this time. Regular due dates for all materials have resumed; check your receipt or your Library account for exact due dates. Curbside pickup of Library materials is available for all Monroe County Library System cardholders.
Town Hall: is open to residents by appointment only; in-person meetings will be limited and allowed only when absolutely necessary. Calls should be made to the department related to the inquiry. Town Hall remains staffed to handle business online and by mail, phone, email and the “drop slot” to the right of the front door of Town Hall.
All Town Playgrounds: residents may use Town playgrounds at their own risk, as it is not possible for the Town to keep equipment appropriately sanitized after every use. Those using Town playgrounds are expected to observe COVID-19 social distancing and hygiene protocols.
All Town Parks: Farm View Park and Hopkins Park are closed as of November, 2020 and will remain closed through the spring of 2021. All other Town parks remain open; all courts are open, all athletic fields are open to groups of 25 individuals or less, and all trails and walkways are accessible. Those using Town parks are expected to observe COVID-19 social distancing and hygiene protocols.
Thornell Farm Park: the park is open and per State requirements, all grass and turf sports fields are open to group activities of 25 individuals or less; the tennis courts, trails, walkways and the playground are open to residents. COVID-19 social distancing and hygiene protocols are required.
King's Bend Park Lodges: the lodges are open and per State and Federal governments all COVID-19 safety guidelines must be followed while at the lodges. Lodge capacities will adhere to New York State COVID-19 guidelines. Please note COVID-19 social distancing and hygiene protocols are required.
Mile Post School: is closed to the public until further notice, as this site is being used as a Public Works crew operation center.
Town Clerk: All services of the Town Clerk are available online, by mail, phone and email. If necessary, an appointment can be arranged. Contact at 248-6210 or ldillon@townofpittsford.org, mail materials to Pittsford Town Clerk's Office, 11 South Main Street, Pittsford NY 14534. Services info at www.townofpittsford.org/home-clerk.
Town Court: Pittsford Town Court sessions are being scheduled on a limited basis. Town Court staff are available via phone and email Monday – Friday from 9:00am – 5:00pm; call (585) 248-6238 or email at pdromgoole@townofpittsford.org. Visitors must follow appropriate health safety and social distancing requirements for Court appearances and Court Office visits.
Building Department: As of May 15, 2020 the Governor has begun the phased reopening of New York State. The Town of Pittsford and the surrounding Finger Lakes region have met the criteria set by the Governor to reopen. Construction is included in Phase 1 of the reopening plan. As construction moves forward, all COVID-19 safety guidelines set by the State and Federal governments must be followed while on the job site. To protect the community and limit the spread of COVID-19, the Town of Pittsford has altered accordingly its inspection and permitting procedures. See the Town of Pittsford COVID-19 Building Inspection Procedures for details; additional information can be found here: New York State Construction Guidelines. For more information contact Town of Pittsford Building Inspector Mark Lenzi at mlenzi@townofpittsford.org or call the Town Building Department at 585-248-6265.
Town Public Works: Highway, Sewer and Parks Departments: All operations continue. Crews in these departments are following hygiene and social distancing protocols in light of the COVID-19 threat.
Monroe County Services at Town facilities: The County has suspended until further notice Passport Services at Town Hall and Mobile DMV service at Pittsford Town Court. Find updated information for Monroe County DMV here https://www2.monroecounty.gov/clerk-COVID-19.
MORNING UPDATE: ORANGE ZONE
Tuesday, November 24
Go to https://covidhotspotlookup.health.ny.gov/#/home and type in your address. It brings up a map that shows whether you’re in the zone or outside of it.
In addition, the Town is making deliveries of masks to senior residential communities, senior care facilities and to the Pittsford Food Cupboard.
If you were unable to grab a mask on Saturday, we'd be more than happy to deliver some to you. Just send me an email at bsmith@townofpittsford.org with your address.
THE CURRENT SITUATION
Monday, November 23, 2020 4.35pm
It was great to see life back at our Spiegel Community Center this morning, with the start of summer camp programs for kids.
Pittsford’s Town parks, playgrounds, fields, its basketball and tennis courts are all open, subject to 6-foot distancing or wearing masks. Park restrooms are open as well. This week we’ll be installing touchless entry “toe kicks” to enter and exit the restrooms. We’ve begun taking reservations for the lodges at King’s Bend Park.
Pittsford’s restaurants, pubs and shops are opening up. If you’re committed, like I am, to doing our best to support our local businesses after the losses they’ve incurred during the lockdown, then please – please – wear your mask in accordance with each business’s rules. This includes Wegman’s, where non-compliance with face covering requirements is a growing problem, and any other business as well. It puts our business owners in a tough spot when people don’t comply. Most importantly, masks help prevent the spread of the virus.
You’re not helping a business if a COVID case is traced to it because you didn’t use a mask. It’s not helping business anywhere if the State has to backtrack on re-opening if incidence of the virus increases. Masks help prevent that from happening.
FOOD TRUCK WEDNESDAYS: The Town Recreation Department starts its "Food Truck Wednesdays" on July 8 at Thornell Farm Park. It will run through August 26, each Wednesday evening at the park from 5:00 - 8:00pm (or until menu items are sold out), featuring a different food truck each week.
The Pittsford Village Farmers’ Market opens for the season on Saturday, July 11, once more at the Spiegel Community Center. Pittsford is home to many different farmers’ markets, all now open for the season. Another great way to buy local.
My staff and I continue to plan events for this summer that everyone in the community can enjoy, despite restrictions imposed by the virus. Stay tuned!
Monroe County has not yet reopened Mobile DMV service at Pittsford Town Court, or Passport Services at Town Hall.
Phase 4 of the State’s COVID reopening plan began this past Friday. In general, all of the following are now permitted, provided that people maintain 6-foot distancing or wear masks:
Movie theaters, shopping malls and gyms remain closed.
As ever, my thanks to our Town staff and Department of Public Works crews who throughout the COVID crisis have continued their hard work on behalf of us all.
Please remember to wear your mask when you’re within 6 feet of someone outside your household. And enjoy the summer weather, Pittsford!
You should know that our ability to offer all of the listed programs depends on progress of the State’s phased re-opening of our region.
We welcomed the news, as we announced last week, that Summer Camp can go forward effective June 29th. My thanks to our recreation staff for all of the planning and organization that’s brought us to this point, and that makes summer camp possible again this year.
As a reminder, last week I authorized reopening the Town’s playgrounds. Please understand that the Town can’t possibly sanitize every piece of play equipment after each child. So please use your judgment when it comes to playgrounds and remember to maintain adequate physical distancing.
Parks and trails are open, too, though still with state-mandated restrictions on the use of fields for group sports. I hope you and your families can get out there to enjoy our wonderful, trails, parks -- and our recent beautiful weather!
We're waiting for NYS to give the green light for outdoor seating at restaurants but we're not waiting to take action to help our restaurants prepare in advance. Going down an irresponsible path of encouraging reopening in defiance of the State's position would only put Pittsford businesses at risk. At risk of fines by the State, loss of liquor licenses or other state licenses, and other harm.
The other day residents of one of our neighborhoods approached with me a concern. They worried about news that a food truck might be doing business in their neighborhood. Understandably they thought this could attract people in groups, presenting a risk to health and safety in our current dilemma.
So far, no food truck business has applied to the Town to operate here.
If it does, the Town won't permit it. This won't surprise you who have followed my recent reports about our efforts to keep people safe; to comply with the Governor's Executive Order about people congregating in groups during the pandemic.
A food truck in a residential neighborhood, or anywhere else in Town, would require what's known as a "Temporary Activities Permit." The Town issues these permits for things like estate sales and similar events.
Since the beginning of the coronavirus lockdown we've issued no Temporary Activities Permits. Because these Permits are issued precisely for the kind of events that attract groups of people.
I'd love it if a food truck showed up in my neighborhood. What a way to bring people together in the spirit of community and neighborhood!
Therein lies the problem. We can't bring groups of people together right now. Online, yes. Geographically, no. Let's do it when things return to normal. But not just now.
Please support our Pittsford businesses that offer goods and services consistent with COVID-19 protocols. Many Pittsford restaurants deliver and offer curbside pickup. The Pittsford Chamber of Commerce lists them.
The civilian population of the United States hasn't faced an emergency affecting us like this since World War II.
We shal prevail.
Wash your hands.
Stay home.
Stay well.
My grandfather was an Air Raid Warden during World War II. His job was to enforce the “blackout” rules that kept cities dark so enemy pilots couldn’t find their targets or navigate easily.
Right now we’re fighting another war, against an invisible enemy.
So what do you do when you’re the Town Supervisor and there are still some people negligent and reckless enough to ignore social distancing rules in a pandemic, by playing group sports in the Town’s parks? Or otherwise congregating in open violation of the Governor’s Executive Orders?
Effective today I’ve redeployed a number of Town employees as Park Wardens. They’re making the rounds to enforce social distancing rules in all of our parks.
These include employees whom we continue to pay even though they’re at home and Parks Department staff. The Park Wardens will comply with all COVID-19 social distancing protocols in disbursing groups. If a group won’t disburse the Wardens will call the Sheriff.
By enforcing social distancing we protect not just the scofflaws, but all of the people they may infect.
Wash your hands.
Stay home.
Stay well.
One of the most important steps each of us can take to support and protect our nurses, doctors and other people working to care for us is to observe the basic COVID-19 protocols: STAY HOME and maintain social distancing. We owe them this much at least.
Today St. John Fisher College advised me that it has offered residential accommodation to healthcare workers from Rochester Regional Health who are well, but who want to avoid going home between shifts because they have compromised people at home. The college is making this housing available for up to 13 healthcare workers.
Thank you, St. John Fisher President Gerry Rooney, your trustees and staff, from a grateful community.
At the Town level, today I suspended the Town’s restrictions on recreational vehicles in residential driveways. There are doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers here in Pittsford who are bringing their RVs home to stay in them, as a way of keeping distance from their families. That’s enough of a sacrifice already, on top of the other sacrifices they’re making for all of us. We don’t need to give them a hard time about parking their RVs.
Wash your hands.
Stay home.
Stay well.
If you don't have to go out to work in an essential function, stay home. Stay home except to get essential items like food or medicine. Make those trips as few and as short as possible. Make a list in advance. Wipe down the shopping cart, touch screens and touch pads before and after use. Use the self-checkout lane when you can.
Stay home except for volunteer work where you follow the social distancing standards.
Stay home except for necessary outdoor exercise, for you and your pets. Keep your distance. No group sports. No group gatherings.
Town playgrounds are closed. Thornell Farm Park is closed. Town trails remain open. Keep your 6 foot distance from others when you walk on the trails.
Even after closing Thornell, Town staff have had to disperse people playing group sports there and elsewhere. They've had to replace barriers around the playgrounds that people have pulled down. Folks -- what more can I say?
As one state governor put it the other day: We're not being graded on a curve for social distancing. We won't get an A or a B or whatever. This is Pass-Fail. Fail means you can die. Or a loved one can. Or someone can whom you've never met, who otherwise would have lived.
“If you’re going to practice intense social distancing, it really means avoiding or limiting contact with people outside of your family, and really staying home most of the time, unless you really need to go out,” says Dr. Maria Ciminelli, president of the New Jersey Academy of Family Physicians. “But any prolonged kind of engagement outside is really still not social distancing, having that prolonged contact with people that are not in your family."
By Friday my Department Heads and I had reduced on-site staffing of Town personnel even further than it stood after we complied with the Governor's orders on staffing. Every trip out of the house increases the risk of getting COVID-19 or spreading it.
You can conduct business with the Town Clerk's office by phone and by email. Taxes may be paid by mail and by delivery through the drop slot to the immediate right of the front door of Town Hall.
Our highway, sewer, parks and maintenance crews are at work on your behalf. We've divided each operational department into discrete "cells" of people who already had been working in proximity with one another. Each has its own separate Town building as its headquarters; each operates in accordance with all COVID-19 protocols.
You can reach me seven days a week by phone or email. 248-6220; wsmith@townofpittsford.org.
Wash your hands.
Stay home.
Stay well.
Here’s what "social distancing" means: it means staying at least 6 feet away from anybody else.
It doesn’t mean “unless you’re playing soccer.” It doesn’t mean there are exempt areas where this standard doesn’t apply. Like parks, for example.
Therefore, here’s what groups of people playing soccer all weekend long in Thornell Farm Park means: Thornell Farm Park is now closed, effective immediately.
The Governor’s recent Executive Order states as follows: “All non-solitary outside activity, like outdoor basketball games and other team sports, is banned.”
Trails through Thornell Farm Park remain accessible.
If prohibited activity transfers to the other Town Parks, they will be closed as well.
Our parks are open, but playgrounds in Pittsford are closed. There's no possible way to sanitize every swing, slide and every other piece of playground equipment after every use. The only responsible choice is to close. Town crews will be replacing any current signage at playgrounds that suggests they may be used, and will take other measures as well. But, sign or no sign, Town playgrounds in Pittsford are now closed.
Keeping our distance is critical to saving lives by slowing the spread of the virus and reducing the strain on our health system. Pittsford has an extensive system of trails and sidewalks for recreation and exercise – ideally suited for the demands of the moment.
The Governor also ordered the closing of all non-essential businesses across the state. Essential services remain open. These include:
• grocery stores including all food and beverage stores
• pharmacies
• convenience stores
• farmer’s markets
• gas stations
• restaurants/bars (but only for take-out/delivery)
• hardware and building material stores
• trash and recycling collection, processing and disposal
• mail and shipping services
• laundromats/dry cleaning
• building cleaning and maintenance
• child care services
• auto repair
• warehouse/distribution and fulfillment
• funeral homes, crematoriums and cemeteries
• storage for essential businesses
• animal shelters or animal care or management
The Town is fully compliant with the order to have 100% of employees deemed non-essential working from home.
Highway, Sewer, Parks and Maintenance Departments continue with their work. We’ve broken up the crews into small units that are sited separately from each other. These units consist of people who had been working together already. Smaller units mitigate risk of contagion among employees. Until further notice, road repairs proceed, sidewalk construction continues and leaf and yard debris collection continues. Soon you’ll receive the Town’s annual mailing showing the pickup schedule for 2020.
We’re prepared to handle problems caused by high winds tonight.
The Town Clerk’s office is maintaining regular hours. You can pay taxes by mail or by using the drop slot immediately to the right of the front door of Town Hall. You can conduct all other business with the Clerk’s office by phone. The number is 248-6210.
We’re working with our Senior Center, the Pittsford Food Cupboard, Pittsford Youth Services, The Highlands, Cloverwood and Heather Heights to distribute hand sanitizer obtained from the State and to help in other ways.
If you have a friend or neighbor who’s vulnerable in one way or another or who you think might benefit from some help, please call them to see what you can do. What we’re hearing at Town Hall about neighbors helping neighbors speaks highly of the kind of town we are.
The advice and direction we’ve been receiving from Governor Cuomo and County Executive Bello and their staffs have been exemplary. A tremendous help to us all. I thank them both.
Wash your hands.
Stay home.
Stay well.
To date it has not been necessary to reduce staff in the operational departments of our Department of Public Works. The Highway Department, Parks Department, Sewer Department and Maintenance Department are fully staffed and are providing the services you expect from them. You should know that we have put measures into place to protect these employees as much as possible from risk of contagion. We’ve broken them up into small working groups and each group has its own headquarters in a separate building from the others.
For Town staff who now won't be reporting to work as usual, we’ve taken pains to adopt policies to mitigate the burden on their lives to the extent possible.
You know as well as I do that the situation changes every day, and rapidly. I'll keep you updated.
For now, stay well. Stay home.
If you have neighbors or friends who are vulnerable in one way or another or who you think may need a bit of help in this situation, please give them a call to see what you can do. But I know I don't need to tell you this. It's the Pittsford way.
COVID 19 UPDATE: - TOWN HALL CLOSED TO PUBLIC UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
Town Hall will be open to Pittsford residents who wish to attend the Town Board meeting tomorrow, Tuesday, March 17, at 6:00pm.
Town Clerk’s Office:
All services of the Town Clerk are available online, by mail, phone and email. If necessary, an appointment can be arranged. You’ll find information on the Town Clerk’s web page at www.townofpittsford.org/home-clerk. You may contact the Town Clerk’s office by phone at 248-6214 and by email at ldillon@townofpittsford.org.
Building Department:
If you require an exterior building inspection or a permit for new construction, you can arrange either by appointment; call the Building Department at 248-6250. Interior inspections and permits for occupied homes are suspended until further notice.
Public Works – Highway, Sewer and Parks Departments:
All operations of the Highway Department, the Sewer Department and the Parks Department continue as before. Crews in these departments are following new protocols in light of the COVID-19 threat. You will shortly receive our annual mailer about yard debris and leaf collection.
Town Court:
By order of the Chief Administrative Judge of the State of New York, Town Court will be closed until further notice, effective from 5:00pm today, Monday, March 16. By order of the Chief Judge, neither judges nor staff may report to work after today.
Library and Community Center:
As a reminder, the Pittsford Community Library and the Spiegel Community Center are closed until further notice.
Monroe County Services:
As a further reminder, the County has suspended until further notice Mobile DMV service at Pittsford Town Court and Passport Services at Town Hall. We’re a strong community. We’re all pulling together to get past the current situation. If I can be of help, please phone me at 248-6220 or contact me by email at wsmith@townofpittsford.org. We can all do our part. The most important thing for you to do is to just stay home.
I want to give you all a status report on the Town’s efforts in response to the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis. First, you should know that as we proceed, we’re erring on the side of caution. Based on the information available, the crisis is real. It’s spreading in the U.S. and in New York. As a result, we’re reviewing plans continually. As the situation changes, we’re poised and ready to adapt plans and procedures accordingly.
Since early this week, various members of my senior staff, our Emergency Management Coordinator and I have been conferring as we’ve monitored advice and information on COVID-19 from County, State and Federal health agencies as more has become available. This morning we held an Emergency Preparedness meeting with all Town Department Heads, the Emergency Management Coordinator, the Head of Building Maintenance, Village Mayor Bob Corby and the Village Clerk. The purpose was to review and discuss instructions to employees, and to review and discuss the draft response plans for coping with the COVID-19 threat and preparing for it.
Working together we can minimize risk for everyone. Wishing good health to you all.
Bill Smith, Pittsford Town Supervisor
COVID-19 Coronavirus Town of Pittsford Response Outline - click link for the PDF document or scroll below for text
Pittsford Central School District COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates
You can find information on COVID-19 coronavirus at the County Health Department’s website: https://www2.monroecounty.gov/health-index.php.
Additional information about business closure requirements throughout Monroe County can be found on the County's Website: www.monroecounty.gov
The CDC also has information on its website at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/share-facts-stop-fear.html.
In addition, the CDC has information relevant to anyone planning to travel outside of the United States: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html?deliveryName=USCDC_2067-DM20785.
As of March 12, 2020
1) All Town Facilities
General staff guidelines
a) Regular handwashing
b) Use of hand sanitizer
c) Use of sanitary gloves
d) Refrain from touching face, eyes and mouth
e) Refrain from sharing work area and/or phones
f) Practice good respiratory etiquette
The steps outlined above do not include all of the steps the Town is taking. As we receive additional information from the Monroe County Department of Health, the State and the CDC, we will revise and augment this plan accordingly.