2020/06/01 - Mayor's Column: City Hall's Reopening Plan
“An Open Door to O’Fallon”
A Weekly Note from Mayor Herb Roach
With little notice or preparation, COVID-19 forced the City of O’Fallon to revolutionize how we do business. I am impressed by our staffs’ ability to adapt and I am proud to say that we have continued to provide excellent services to our residents during these challenging times.
As you may have heard, Governor Pritzker announced that our area has moved to Phase 3 of the Restore Illinois Plan, which allows for the community to slowly reopen. Bars & restaurants began outdoor dining on May 29th. I drove around town and was proud to see that most were respectful of the State’s health guidelines. Many were outdoors, enjoying themselves, while still practicing social distancing. The weather last weekend sure helped!
Now that we are in Phase 3, all retail establishments can reopen to the public, albeit with occupancy, social distancing, and face covering requirements.
City Hall has been closed to visitors since the beginning to the Governor’s Disaster Proclamation. At that time, we made the decision to close City Hall and have most people working from home in order to protect our staff and customers, and to ensure that we were able to continue to provide services.
However, now with the State progressing into Phase 3 of the Restore Illinois Plan, we will begin reopening City Hall while still observing safety guidelines for the protection of our staff and residents.
On Monday, June 8th, City Hall will reopen to provide service to residents on an “appointment only” basis. The main doors will continue to be closed to “walk-in” access. When a visitor enters City Hall, they will need to practice social distancing and wear an appropriate face covering. We are still encouraging that business continue to be conducted online or over the telephone.
Also beginning on June 8th, and until further notice, the first hour of each day that City Hall is open (8 - 9 a.m.) will be for the elderly and vulnerable population who need to transact business at City Hall.
If all goes well and the Governor moves our region to Phase 4, then we plan to open City Hall to the public on July 6, 2020. However, we will still comply with occupancy limitations for visitors and staff.
I am proud to say that the City of O’Fallon did not skip a beat, even when we had to completely transform how we work, nearly overnight.
As residents of O’Fallon, you should always be able to reach out to your elected officials and ask questions about what is happening in O’Fallon. Having open communications is important to me and something I care very deeply about. Thank you for reading, and please remember, my door is always open (virtually, at least)!