News

Governor Baker Issues Guidance on the Enforcement Mechanism for COVID-19 Executive Orders

On August 18^th, Governor Baker issued an executive order providing guidance to municipalities regarding how to enforce the numerous executive orders in effect in response to COVID-19. Many of the Governor’s prior orders provided municipalities with the authority to enforce the executive orders. For example, the Governor’s recent order mandating quarantine for travelers entering the Commonwealth from out of state provides local boards of health and their authorized agents as well as municipal police with powers to enforce the order. The Governor’s August 7^th executive order limiting the size of in-person gatherings also allowed for enforcement by local boards of health and municipal police departments.

Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, LLP Receives Favorable Decision for Town of Dracut

On April 11, 2023, MHTL Attorneys Peter Mello and Madison Harris-Parks represented the Town of Dracut, and successfully obtained a preliminary injunction order requiring, among other things, that the Defendant homeowners cease renting out their pool to the public. The case, Town of Dracut by and Through Its Building Inspector vs. Nason, Gilbert et al., was initiated by the Town after the Defendants failed to comply with the Town’s associated underlying zoning enforcement order. The Town requested the injunction Read More

Legal Updates

EXTENSION OF MUNICIPAL RELIEF MEASURES - INCLUDING OPEN MEETING LAW REMOTE OPTION - SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR

The option for public bodies in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to hold public meetings remotely or in a hybrid fashion, which came into play at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, has been extended by the General Court for another two years, until March 31, 2025. The Governor signed the legislation, which will be codified at Chapter 2 of the Acts of 2023, on March 29, 2023. Because of the inclusion of an emergency preamble, the law goes into effect immediately.

News

Governor Baker Issues Guidance on the Enforcement Mechanism for COVID-19 Executive Orders

Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, LLP Receives Favorable Decision for Town of Dracut

EXTENSION OF MUNICIPAL RELIEF MEASURES - INCLUDING OPEN MEETING LAW REMOTE OPTION - SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR

Braintree, MA

Boston, MA

Quincy, MA

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