Jackson City Hall Reopens to Public Following COVID-19 Closure

The clerk and treasurer office lobby with protective glass installed at service counters.  Photos courtesy City of Jackson.

(July 8, 2020 8:43 AM) After a COVID-19 closure that’s lasted nearly four months, Jackson City Hall officially reopened to the public today.

Reopening City Hall comes with the following safety measures to protect public health:

• Anyone entering City Hall must be wearing a face covering in accordance with the Governor’s Executive Order 115- Section 6. It’s the law!

• No more than two people are allowed in an elevator at a time.

• Every floor that is open to the public has strict capacity limits. If the capacity limit is reached, residents will be asked to sit in a secondary waiting room.

• Because of capacity limits, the City is asking residents to limit the number of people accompanying them into City Hall to conduct business.

• Meetings with residents will take place virtually or by appointment only. If an in-person meeting is required, they will happen in a large meeting room where participants can safely social distance.

Protective glass has been installed in City departments that have service counters. Signage about social distancing, important health information, and mask usage is posted around City Hall. Residents are strongly encouraged to still use alternative options for conducting business before coming into the building, such as reaching staff by phone, email, and postal mail. The City also urges residents to use the City Hall drop box for payment and document submission, along with the online payment system through our website, cityofjackson.org. A bigger drop box has been installed to accommodate larger documents and absentee ballots.

City officials have launched safety measures for staff working in the building:

• Staff must wear masks when they are entering and leaving City Hall, along with visiting a different department.

• Every department has signage about social distancing, mask usage, and proper hygiene.

• Daily temperature checks are done by department heads of each staff member working in the building.

• Staff members who are fully functional working remotely are continuing to do so.

• Virtual meetings are encouraged. If an in-person meeting is required, they will take place in a large meeting room where participants can safely social distance.

• Virtual meetings of the City Council and boards and commissions are continuing, subject to future Executive Orders.

Inspections of rental properties and businesses resumed earlier this week by the Neighborhood and Economic Operations Department. Inspectors are wearing masks and gloves during all inspections and utilizing social distancing when possible. The City of Jackson has been slowly resuming operations over the past month, such as allowing staff back into City Hall, reopening outdoor park facilities, and resuming outdoor recreation programs.

Normal business hours continue following the reopening, which are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.