News and Updates

Nervous about casting your vote in a group during the ongoing COVID-19/coronavirus state of emergency? The Town Clerk is offering early voting by mail for Clinton’s local election on Monday, June 29.

I strongly suggest you consider this option as a way to have your voice heard while maintaining social distancing during this extraordinary public health crisis. Just download this application, fill it out and mail it to the Clerk’s Office (or put it in the drop box in front of Town Hall).

Campaign signs are available starting today.

I’ve already heard from a bunch of you and will be by soon with your sign. Thank you.

If you’re interested in supporting our campaign with a sign, please let me know, either through my website, Facebook Messenger or email at kerriganforclinton@gmail.com. I’ll drop one off as soon as possible with gloves and a mask. All signs will be disinfected prior to delivery.

This will be a difficult, different campaign. You’ve already shown me you’re willing to do whatever it takes to help. I’ll need plenty more going forward, but I promise as always that I’ll never take you or your support for granted.

If you’re nervous about casting your vote in a group, the Town Clerk is offering early voting by mail, and I strongly suggest you consider it by downloading this application and mailing it to the Clerk’s Office (or putting it in the drop box in front of Town Hall). 

I’ve answered this question informally over the past week or so, but since it came up again this weekend, I’d like to state formally that I will not be running for state representative in the 12th Worcester District.

I’m flattered that so many of you whom I admire and respect would consider me worthy of this level of public service. But our work in Clinton is not done, and I was brought up to finish what I’ve started. 

What I am seeking is another term on the Clinton Board of Selectmen, and this past week you showed again what a resilient community Clinton is when it comes to backing something it believes in.

Candidates for local office need to collect 50 signatures from registered voters to get on the ballot. It’s normally not much of a hurdle, but these are not normal times. Candidates at the state and federal level all the way up to U.S. Senate are reportedly, and understandably, having trouble getting their signatures in this time of social distancing. After putting my own collection effort on hold during the early days of Clinton’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, I began considering alternative ways to get what we needed to qualify for the election. 

In the end, I decided I’d contact as many of you as I could to see if you’d be willing to accept individual nomination papers, delivered safely to your mailbox with a self-addressed stamped envelope, minimizing contact as much as possible while giving you a chance to support my campaign.

The response was amazing, and I want to thank you for making a potentially difficult task so easy. We collected almost 150 percent of what we needed, and today I was told that our signatures were certified, so I’ll be back on the ballot asking you for another term on the Board of Selectmen. 

In this time of self-quarantine and stay-at-home orders, there’s a lot we still don’t know about how the 2020 elections will work. If we’re going to keep Clinton moving forward, we’re going to have to be creative and nimble, trying new ways to get our message out. 

Tonight, the Board of Selectmen voted to postpone the town election to June 29 (and Town Meeting until June 22). This is all pending a special act of the state legislature, and could still change depending on how the coronavirus crisis develops. 

If you’re nervous about casting your vote in a group, the Town Clerk is offering early voting by mail, and I strongly suggest you consider it by downloading this application and mailing it to the Clerk’s Office (or putting it in the drop box in front of Town Hall). 

For more information on early voting, visit the Clerk’s Office page on the town website.

Regardless of how you plan on voting, please make sure you’re registered. The current deadline (both for Town Meeting and the town election) is Tuesday, May 19. 

This will be a difficult, different campaign. You’ve already shown me you’re willing to do whatever it takes to help. I’ll need plenty more going forward, but I promise as always that I’ll never take you or your support for granted. 

Like this post? Then share it! The more Clinton voters we get on our team, the better chance we’ll have to keep Clinton moving in the right direction: Forward.

In response to the state stay-at-home order and limits on the number of people at public gatherings, the Clinton Board of Selectmen is offering new remote-viewing and participation options to residents, beginning at its Thursday, March 26, meeting.

As part of the effort to assist local governments in continuing service to the public without requiring large gatherings that could hasten the spread of the coronavirus/COVID-19, Governor Charlie Baker has issued modifications to the state’s Open Meeting Law.

From the governor’s announcement:

This emergency order suspends the requirement for public access to the physical location where a public meeting is taking place, provided there are other means of access available. This includes the use of a phone conference line for members of the public, social media or other internet streaming services, on-line meeting services, or methods of access.

Additionally, the order relieves the requirement that a quorum of members be physically present at a public meeting. During this period, members may all participate by remote or virtual means.

As a result, the Clinton Board of Selectmen’s meeting on Thursday, March 26, will be broadcast live on Comcast Local Access Television Channel 8, as usual, but also available for viewing via:

• Facebook Live at https://www.facebook.com/ClintonMA.gov
• Zoom teleconferencing at https://zoom.us/j/9855429256

Public comment for this meeting begins at 7 p.m. Interested Clinton residents can provide remote comments by calling 978-365-4120 at that time or by emailing comments to selectmen@clintonma.gov no later than 5 p.m. on March 26 to be included as part of the public record for that meeting.

Please do not come to Town Hall for Thursday’s meeting.

The board is committed to using every tool available to keep you apprised of what is happening at Town Hall during this state of emergency. We ask for your continued patience and perseverance as we learn to use these tools to their full capacity.

The agenda for the board’s March 26 meeting is available here: http://www.clintonma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_03262020-519

These are unsettled times. Protect yourself and your neighbors by maintaining social distance and practicing proper hand-washing and sanitizing techniques. Please listen to trusted, legitimate news sources.

• Visit government COVID-19 websites from the state Department of Public Health and the federal Centers for Disease Control.
• Call the Massachusetts DPH 211 hotline with questions and concerns about the virus.
• Subscribe to the state’s new COVID-19 text message service by texting “COVIDMA” to 888-777.

Today, we got notice that Clinton has two confirmed cases of COVID-19/coronavirus.

The Board of Health continues to post daily updates on the spread of this virus online HERE.

We understand that this is a troubling time and people are nervous. The town is working hard to keep the public safe while maintaining the services you need. It’s a fast-changing, fluid situation, but we are committed to staying on top of it.

As far as the two confirmed cases announced today, HIPAA prevents us from naming patients.

Every positive test is thoroughly investigated as to their whereabouts for the past 14 days. Results are then reported to the state for inclusion in their database (which is updated daily HERE).

In the meantime, these patients are quarantined at home. This investigation takes time, but the public should understand that any stores and public buildings they might have visited should’ve been cleaned and sanitized daily since.

It’s important that people continue washing their hands, sanitizing surfaces and keeping their distance, including staying home whenever possible.

We’ll get through this together. Stay safe.

Last night, the Board of Selectmen met with Board of Health Chairman Steve Lipka for an update on the town’s ongoing response to the spread of coronavirus/COVID-19.

The board agreed to support the Board of Health’s closure of all municipal buildings until further notice, and to work toward improving communication regarding future actions, as well as continuing an ongoing plan for continuity of town services during this state of emergency.

The town website (clintonma.gov) will continue to be updated with information as it becomes available.

Also, the meeting is up on YouTube if you’re interested in the whole discussion. 

In order to protect the health and safety of town employees and the public due to the threat of the Covid-19 Coronavirus, all municipal buildings in the Town of Clinton will limit public access until further notice.

Town offices are still open and employees are working to continue municipal operations.

Continuing updates and a contact list of town departments is available at the town’s website.

The current state of emergency is a fluid, ever-changing situation, but the town is committed to preserving critical services as much as possible. We appreciate your patience and perseverance during this unsettled time.