.png)
South Pasadena City Hall reopened with employees inside on Monday.
Workers were brought into offices with full compliance of LA County orders and protocols. “Our top priority for our employees and our customers is safety,” insisted City Manager Stephanie DeWolfe.
A staggered schedule will be in place as the workforce returns to their desks inside the building at 1414 Mission Street. “So, we’ll roughly have half the employees in the building at any given time,” explained DeWolfe. “We will require masks for our employees,” noting that personal protective equipment (PPE) will be available, including sanitizers, wipes and other safeguards against the coronavirus.
She stressed that “extra precautions” will be in place to protect employees at all times.
While workers return, the public will not be permitted inside the building until July 6. “We think it’s important to have a two-week transition period for our employees to get comfortable with their new space and new protocols, to make sure everything is working properly before we bring the public back into the building,” said DeWolfe.
While City Hall opens its doors to employees, the pandemic continues. Last week an uptick in the number of cases in Los Angeles County was reported. More than 4,000 new cases were announced over the weekend countywide. On Monday a record-breaking 2,571 new coronavirus cases were reported in LA County. It marked the third time over the past week that the number of new cases surpassed 2,000 cases.
Masks will be required for individuals entering the building and will be available to those needing them. People entering the building must make an appointment, noted DeWolfe, to avoid crowds in public areas.
Telecommuting by employees will continue to the extent it is possible and reasonable “while still maintaining the highest levels of service to our residents,” said the city manager.
“The county order still specifies no gatherings,” noted DeWolfe. “So what that means is we are still not able to do group meetings, council meetings, commission meetings. No group meetings are permitted under the county order right now. So, all those types of functions will have to continue on Zoom and our other web based platforms.”
