Harwich COA Debates Storm Gaps, Contractor Lists, and Senior Outreach Push

HARWICH — March 18, 2026 — Harwich Council on Aging examines blizzard response gaps and debates contractor referral risks. The Board of Directors met March 18 and spent the bulk of its session on two issues: the town's response to February's multi-day storm and whether the COA should help seniors find home contractors. Board member Carol said she had been unable to locate warming center information after losing power and internet for four days, calling Harwich's response "pretty inadequate," and noting that no local shelter opened for several days after the storm. The board agreed staff would coordinate with police and fire on emergency communication planning ahead of hurricane season. On contractor referrals, the board reached a firm consensus against maintaining any list, with the chair warning that residents invariably associate any COA-adjacent resource with the town agency itself: "What they think of is staff and this building and this department." The board also noted 46 new newsletter sign-ups through the COA website and 16 first-time attendees at last month's men's breakfast, and approved the previous meeting's minutes unanimously.