Due to the huge spike in the number of COVID-19 cases in the Valley since June, Town Hall and the Community Center will be closed to the public effective Monday, July 13. This action is being taken as a measure to prevent covid exposure to employees and customers. While the Community Center will be fully closed to the public, Town Hall access will be limited to the first floor only so the public can still access the Municipal Court, Sheriff’s Office, and a drop off counter for plan reviews, building permits, and other services provided by Development Services.
“Since returning to the workplace in May, a number of precautions have been taken to protect our employees and the public they serve,” said Town Manager Grady Miller. “Despite following best practices, over the past few weeks, there have been close calls with employees who have had family members ill with COVID-like symptoms and recently, even a few employees who have also displayed possible COVID-like symptoms. While negative test results have provided peace of mind, we need to step up our precautions to prevent the spread of the virus and do our best to keep our employees and their families healthy and safe,” continued Miller.
Despite not providing in-person customer contact with customers during the closure, Town Hall and Community Center employees will continue performing their job duties. Employees will respond to telephone calls and emails from residents with requests for information and other town service requests while they either work from home or work staggered days in the office. All parks maintenance and public works employees will continue working their regular assignments due to being identified as essential employees in the Governor’s Executive Orders. By working outdoors, maintaining physical distancing and proper hygiene, and limited interaction with the public and one another, the employees are following best practices to remain healthy and limit exposure to the virus.
All boards and commissions meetings will be suspended during this timeframe. The town will continue monitoring the COVID-19 situation based on available information from the Arizona Department of Health Services, Governor’s Office, and CDC before making a decision about when to re-open facilities and having employees fully return to the work place.
Despite the closure of Town Hall and the Community Center, all park and trail amenities currently open to the public such as restrooms, the dog park, and others will continue to remain open.