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Town of Cumberland
Mayor Jeffrey Mutter
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Coronavirus Updates

Town Hall Opening to the Public at Limited Capacity

Beginning 5/28 there will be limited public access to Town Hall.

Entrance: The public will be allowed to enter/exit at the ramp entrance. There will be signs placed directing you to that entrance.

Public Hours: 9 am – 12 pm and 1 – 2:30 ONLY .

Requirements: We ask residents to wear a mask/face covering when coming to Town Hall and you will be required to sign in upon entry. Once signed in, you will go to the department you wish to see.

Limits: Other than in the vault where two (2) people will be allowed in at a time, all departments will be limited to one visitor at a time.

We appreciate your cooperation and we look forward to
continuing to serve you.

Thank you.

Notice of Polling Place Location

Due to the COVID pandemic, only one location will be open for in-person voting.  Polling place set up will reflect social distancing guidelines recommended by the CDC.  The following location will be open from 7:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M.

Saint Aiden’s Parish Hall

1460 Diamond Hill Road

Please contact the Board of Canvassers at 728-2400 Ext. 131 with any questions.

Temporary Outdoor Seating

The Town of Cumberland supports its local businesses and intends to make provisions for restaurants and bars to open to the extent possible while providing a safe environment for employees and patrons.  Executive Order 20-04 outlines relaxed outdoor seating requirements for restaurants and bars. Full details here.

APPLICATION FOUND HERE.

Notice of Extension for 1st Quarter Tax Payments

In light of the burden of COVID-19, the Town of Cumberland is providing relief to taxpayers in the form of a 30-day extension of the due date for 1st quarter property, motor vehicle, and tangible tax payments from the current due date of May 31, 2020 to June 30, 2020. Any penalties or interest will be waived during this time (1st Quarter 2020 tax bills only). Click here for full details. 

COVID-19 MicroEnterprise Grants

Cumberland, with Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds provided by the Rhode Island Office of Housing and Community Development (OHCD) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), is offering working capital grants of $5,000 to qualifying small business microenterprises adversely impacted by COVID-19. Please click here to visit the landing page for full details regarding eligibility and application materials. 

Town Hall Operations

Town Hall is Closed to the Public Until Further Notice
Town Hall will be closed to the public until further notice. Residents may reach their desired department by telephone, a full list of department extensions can be found by clicking here.

The Town continues to encourage individuals to utilize online resources whenever possible. A drop box located at the ADA ramp entrance on the side of Town Hall is available to accept payments and to process requests for information. Please place your documents in an envelope labeled with the appropriate department and your contact information. The drop box is monitored throughout the day, Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.

Land Evidence Records Available Online
Land Evidence Records can now be searched on-line. The link is available on the Home Page under How Do I? and through the Town Clerk’s department page under You May Be Interested In.

This service is offered free-of-charge UNTIL June 1, 2020.

At that time, a charge will be incurred for printing and/or downloading images. Access to the records may be provided by a subscription fee and/or a per page fee.

Water Department Closed to the Public
The Cumberland Water Department Administrative Offices located at 98 Nate Whipple Highway in Cumberland, Rhode Island are closed to the public until further notice. You may contact the office at 401-658-0666, Monday through Friday between the hours of 7:00 AM and 3:00 PM for assistance.

We encourage our customers to use online services whenever possible. There is also a drop box located outside of the Administrative Offices that can be used for payments. The dropbox is located near the front door and is checked multiple times each day.

Executive Order Relating to Parks and Recreational Spaces
On April 15th, Mayor Mutter issued  Executive Order 20-03 which mandates that all patrons of outdoor parks and recreational areas in Cumberland shall wear cloth face coverings at all times while on park properties and recreational areas.

State of Municipal Emergency
A State of Municipal Emergency has been declared for the Town of Cumberland effective March 16, 2020, and will remain in full force and effect until April 14, 2020, unless renewed modified or terminated by subsequent Declaration. A supplemental State of Municipal Emergency was issued on March 25 relative to the budget process. This supplement can be found here.

During this time, the Town will not issue any entertainment licenses until at least April 14, 2020, and has revoked any current entertainment licenses for this same period of time to enforce social distancing. Town parks and open spaces will also be monitored by police to ensure compliance with limiting social gatherings.

To protect the health and wellbeing of both Town employees and residents, Town Hall will be operating at a reduced staff level and there is no public access to Town Hall.

Tax Collections
The following information can be provided by Tax Collections via email:  online log-in information for bill payments, copies of tax summaries, request for DMV clearance, verbal tax info for title examiners/law offices, etc.  The Department of Tax Collections can be emailed at collections@cumberlandri.org .

Municipal Court
The Cumberland Municipal Court has canceled all court sessions through May 19th. We will be sending out a notice to motorists with the new court date.  Motorists may make payments by mail or on-line.  There is also a drop box outside Town Hall that is checked periodically during the day; access into Town Hall is restricted, and if absolutely necessary, by appointment only.  We are able to fax Operator Control with Reinstatement Requests as well as notifying them of payments received for those under suspension.  The clerk can be reached at 728-2400, ext 154, Monday through Friday 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, or by email at jmccormick@cumberlandri.org.

Probate Court
The Cumberland Probate Court only meets once a month; the April 9th session has been postponed until at least May 16th.  We will be contacting involved parties.  Filings will need to be done by mail or dropbox.  If you need assistance, call the clerk at 728-2400, ext 154, or by email at jmccormick@cumberlandri.org.

Vote by Mail
During this health crisis, we encourage you to vote by mail. Click here to obtain a mail-in ballot.

Resources for Small Businesses

SMALL BUSINESS LOANS: In an effort to help struggling businesses stay afloat, Gov. Gina Raimondo announced that the Small Business Administration (SBA) granted her request for a disaster declaration, meaning there are low-interest loans of up to two million dollars available for small businesses locally. To apply for a small business disaster loan, you can visit diasterloan.sba.gov/ela/. Additional information can also be requested by contacting Rhode Island Commerce at 521-HELP or info@commerceri.com.  

Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance.

PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM: The Paycheck Protection Program prioritizes millions of Americans employed by small businesses by authorizing up to $349 billion toward job retention and certain other expenses.

Small businesses and eligible nonprofit organizations, Veterans organizations, and Tribal businesses described in the Small Business Act, as well as individuals who are self-employed or are independent contractors, are eligible if they also meet program size standards.

The Paycheck Protection Program provides small businesses with funds to pay up to 8 weeks of payroll costs including benefits. Funds can also be used to pay interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. Fully Forgiven Funds are provided in the form of loans that will be fully forgiven when used for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities (due to likely high subscription, at least 75% of the forgiven amount must have been used for payroll). Loan payments will also be deferred for six months. No collateral or personal guarantees are required. Neither the government nor lenders will charge small businesses any fees.

SHORT-TERM BRIDGE LOANS: The Governor announced a short term bridge loan opportunity to provide eligible business hit hard by COVID-19 with up to $5,000 to cover expenses. To qualify, applicants must have applied for the SBA COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan and have an application number from that process. The RI program is essentially a bridge loan for the EIDL award and designed to get cash quickly to the businesses who need it most.

SMALL BUSINESS TECH SUPPORT: Rhode Island small business owners can now receive 45 minutes of free tech support via teleconference or over the phone. This service has been coordinated by Rhode Island Commerce and is being staffed by volunteers from some of Rhode Island’s leading tech companies. Visit Commerce’s website or call 521-HELP to get started.

GRANTS FOR BUSINESSES IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES: If you’re an entrepreneur of color, women-owned business or enterprise in an historically under-served community without access to flexible, affordable capital, you may qualify for a grant from the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Rhode Island. LISC will be offering grants of up to $10,000 to help small businesses fill urgent financial gaps until they can resume normal operations. Applications will launch online soon — sign up here to stay updated or learn more on the LISC website.

FREE ADVERTISING FOR RESTAURANTS: COX Media is offering local restaurants two weeks of free TV advertising during COVID-19. The program is to highlight and let customers know you are open, practicing safe food handling and note any special deals and food delivery.

Advertising and space is limited – if interested please reach out to: MarketingInsights@CoxMedia.com to sign-up.

Cox appreciates our local restaurants and so does Cumberland!

CONTRACT (1099) WORKERS: Contract workers may qualify as sole proprietors for SBA economic injury disaster loans. For details and application information, see RI Commerce’s COVID-19 Disaster Loan FAQ. If you have registered in Rhode Island to file as a S corporation, LLP or as an LLC, you should have an EIN associated with the office/studio/home that you registered, and can apply for an economic injury disaster loans through the Small Business Administration like any other business.

COVID-19 RESPONSE FUND (for nonprofits): The Rhode Island Foundation and United Way of Rhode Island have launched a fund to support local nonprofit organizations of the front line of COVID-19 response efforts. The two organizations jointly established the COVID-19 Response Fund. The Foundation raised $2.3 million in initial contributions and will continue to raise money from donors.  Find application information here.

Community Support

There are a variety of federal, state, and local community supports available during this COVID-19 Pandemic. Please click here for a page dedicated to those resources.

Message to the Town of Cumberland

Upon the advice of Governor Gina Raimondo and the Rhode Island Department of Health, I have determined that extraordinary measures must be taken to reduce the spread of the Coronavirus. As such, a State of Municipal Emergency has been declared for the Town of Cumberland.

At this time, the Town Hall will be closed to the public until further notice.  A dropbox located at the ADA ramp entrance on the side of Town Hall is available to accept payments and to process requests for information. Please place your documents in an envelope labeled with the appropriate department and your contact information. The dropbox is monitored throughout the day, Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.

Residents can also reach their desired department by telephone. A full list of department extensions is found under Town Hall at the top of this page. The main number for Town Hall is 401-728-2400.

At this time, the Town will not issue any entertainment licenses until at least April 14, 2020, and has revoked any current entertainment licenses for this same period-of-time to enforce social distancing.

All athletic fields in Cumberland are closed to the public until further notice. Both the basketball and tennis courts at Tucker Field are closed until further notice. Our parks and open spaces will be monitored by Cumberland Police to ensure compliance with limiting the size of gatherings.

If there is anything our office can do to be of service to you, please contact my Community Outreach Coordinator, Sarah King at 401-728-2400 x132.

We appreciate your patience during this challenging time. I firmly believe that we are better together. Our collective strengths as individuals and as a town will see us through this crisis.

Be well.

Thank you,
Jeffrey Mutter

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