CAPIC Fuel Assistance Update – You May Now Be Eligible!
COVID-19 is affecting us all whether it’s our health, household income, our social well-being or a combination of all three. If you are a resident of Chelsea, Winthrop or Revere and are finding it difficult to keep up with home heating expense during this time please do not hesitate to reach out to CAPIC. All applications can be completed remotely. Call today, you may be surprised you qualify! Please call 617-884-6130.
MGH Chelsea Offers Testing for Those with Symptoms
Starting Monday April 13, patients with symptoms of Covid-19 are eligible for testing at MGH Chelsea. One doesn’t need to be a patient of MGH to qualify. There is also not a need to have health insurance, and immigration status does not matter.
Appointments are STRONGLY encouraged, but walk-ins will not be turned away. If anyone has one of the following symptoms, please call 617-724-7000, to schedule an appointment for evaluation and testing:
•fever
•new sore throat
•new cough
•new runny nose or nasal congestion
•new muscle aches
•new shortness of breath
•new loss of smell
If one is a patient within the Partners Healthcare system, please call the Primary Care doctor’s office with any questions, and to be scheduled for evaluation and testing.
Collaborative Masks for Sale
Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Chelsea Collaborative was supporting a group of jornaleros (day laborers) to launch a worker-owned tailoring cooperative in Chelsea for entrepreneurial immigrants in search of economic opportunity. They have now come together to support community crisis responders and help undocumented families in Chelsea weather the financial crisis. The jornaleros are sewing proper masks to protect Chelsea’s community response organizations from the spread of the virus. Masks are being sold for $10 each and the proceeds are going to support undocumented families who are not eligible for unemployment benefits. 300 masks have already been sewn and distributed with more on the way. Individuals can purchase masks as well. To purchase any masks, you may place an order via email, please provide your name, phone number, address and number of masks by contacting: [email protected] then via Cash App: $ChelseaCollaborative.
School Meal Distribution Changes
The City will no longer have meal services at Saint Rose starting this week.
Next week, the City will reduce site locations to the following:
•Early Learning Center
•Mary C. Burke Complex
•Williams School (Wright/Browne Middle Schools)
•Clark Ave School
•Voke Park
Meals will be served during April vacation next week.
Tax Bills, Others Delayed to June 1
The due date for ALL city payments and applications has been extended to June 1, 2020. This policy applies to all bills with a due date on or after March 10, 2020. June 1, 2020 is the new due date even if you received a bill that said the due date for payment is earlier than that.
This extension applies to all of the below:
•Real property tax bills
•Personal property tax bills
•Applications for property tax exemptions
•Parking stickers applications and renewals
•Parking tickets
•Parking ticket appeals
•Excise tax bills
•Water and sewer bills
Two Weeks of High Risk
All indications are that the COVID-19 virus spread will be especially dangerous in the next two weeks. We urge all residents of Chelsea to STAY HOME at all hours unless working in an Essential Business, or have essential travel to do, such as getting groceries or medicine. STAYING HOME and maintaining physical distance from others is the only way to stay safe and stop the spread of the virus in the community. The lives of others depends upon cooperation.
Blood Donations Needed
With the increase in people needing medical assistance during the pandemic there is a critical need for blood as well. If you are able, please contact the Red Cross to make an appointment or look for upcoming opportunities to donate at MGH-Chelsea.
Reminder: Parks Equipment Closed to the Public
All childrens’ playground areas, all basketball/tennis courts and all athletic fields are closed to the general public due to the COVID-19 crisis. Some large recreation areas remain open in the City, but public use is limited to passive recreation such as walking and jogging, and only provided that social and physical distancing rules (six feet away from others) are followed. No athletic activities that bring participants into close physical contact are allowed, even when involving 10 or fewer people.
Deadline for Exemption Extended
The deadline for statutory tax exemptions, with a previous due date of April 1, 2020, will now be extended to June 1, 2020.
However, the property tax abatement deadline, which was Feb. 3, 2020 is not affected by this change and was NOT altered.
If you have another bill and you are not sure if the deadline is extended, please call 617-466-4209 to confirm.
Note that all payments and applications are due by June 1, 2020. This deadline will not be extended even if City Hall is still closed on June 1. However, the City will extend a grace period for late payments. Payments made after June 1, 2020 but before June 30, 2020 will be accepted without penalty or interest.
We encourage you to pay all bills by mail or online. DO NOT access the City’s on-line payment platform via Google or other internet providers. Please go directly to HYPERLINK “http://www.chelseama.gov” \t “_blank” www.chelseama.gov and click on the link for Online Services.
We anticipate that City Hall will reopen significantly before the deadline in order to accept cash payments.
Water Leak Experts
The City of Chelsea is offering a free service to residents to help efficiently manage water usage and lower monthly bills. The service also notifies residents if usage indicates a possible leak. Register for this service at http://chelma.aquahawk.us or call 617-464-4041 for more information.
Free Water Meter Replacement
The City of Chelsea’s DPW is continuing its water meter replacement program for both residential and commercial customers. As part of this effort, meter service technicians from the DPW may be visiting a property to remove the old meter and replace it with a new meter. All DPW meter service technicians travel in marked City of Chelsea vehicles and have City of Chelsea identification badges. Whenever a water meter technician visits a property, one should ask to see the City issued ID. Installation of a new meter will typically take less than 30 minutes. The new meters will eliminate most estimated bills. Reliable readings will also allow customers to identify leaks that may result in higher than normal bills. There is no charge for the new meter.
Chelsea Street Bridge App
For those seeking real time information about the Chelsea St. Bridge closures, Massport is operating a Twitter account which alerts drivers whenever the bridge is opening for shipping and closed to traffic. The Twitter account is @LoganToChelsea. This real time information supplements the new vehicular warnings systems now currently active on Broadway and Williams St.
Massport Noise Complaint Line
Residents who are being disturbed by airplane noise are encouraged to call the MassPort Noise Hotline 24 hours a day. The phone number is (617) 561-3333.
Senior Water and Sewer Discount
Chelsea senior citizens are reminded to sign up for the new Senior Discount for water and sewer charges. Any senior 65 or older who owns and occupies his/her own home may apply. The discount is 10% off the monthly bill.