By Joshua Huff, sports editor
SPRINGVILLE — The city of Springville has introduced a multi-phased plan to reopen city offices in accordance with state guidelines.
The plan has no time frame and is simply a procedure to get to an end date with a plan in place and is strictly for the reopening of city facilities, parks and functions.
“This plan does not address anything with our businesses, as those businesses, and our churches and things of that nature, are all going to be regulated by the state health orders. We will follow based upon what they are doing,” Fire Chief Richard Harvey said.
Following Gov. Kay Ivey amending her statewide stay-at-home order to a more relaxed version on April 28, 2020, albeit with a few stipulations, Springville’s first phase of its city office reopening plan will continue with slight change: employees are now asked to work at the office when they can.
“I want them working here now,” Springville Mayor William Isley Jr. said. “I want them prepared to be open. I hope they come sooner than later.”
Broken down, the phases are segmented based upon orders from the state government and separated by city agency.
Phases
- Phase one continues based upon the orders ushered in by the stay-at-home order.
- Phase two will begin when the governor orders gatherings of more than 50 people are acceptable.
- Phase three will begin following the cancellation of the governor’s state of emergency.
Agencies
- City hall, administration and planning and zoning
- Phase one: Continue operations in same manner as during stay-at-home.
- Phase two: Open city hall to public in areas with glass barriers; All personnel returns to regular office hours in the office; meetings may resume in person with social distancing.
- Phase three: Return to normal operation with enhanced security measures.
- Police Department
- Phase one: Click it or Ticket suspended; Shift contact requirements suspended.
- Phase two: Shift contact requirements reinstated.
- Phase three: Return to normal operations.
- Municipal Court
- Phase one: Split postponed dockets into multiple dockets/sessions as determined by judge/court clerk; no more than 50 defendants on each docket session.
- Phase two: Split postponed dockets into multiple dockets/sessions as determined by judge/court clerk; no more than 100 defendants on each docket session.
- Phase three: Normal dockets, possibly with plead date and separate trial date.
- Parks and Recreations (Big Springs Park, playground and splash pad)
- Phase one: Big Springs Park to remain open for individual use; playground to remain closed; splash pad to remain closed; park bathrooms opened.
- Phase two: Big Springs Park open for use by individuals and small groups as defined by state orders; playground opened if allowed by state orders; pavilion rental resumed if allowed; splash pad to open June 6, if allowed; bathrooms opened; volleyball court opened.
- Phase three: Return to normal operations with all areas open.
- Library
- Phase one: Library to remain closed to public; 14-day return period to receive backlog of library materials; continue virtual online programs.
- Phase two: Limit circulation to public as well as curbside pickup; limit computer and office services; return to normal operations.
These tentative plans come with a price: $1,315.00 for replacing locking mechanism on city hall door, $548 for additional sliding glass door to lobby openings, $474 for addition of glass partition to park and recreation office lobby, $2,396 for addition of glass partition to circulation desk in library, $3,159 for addition of glass partition to circulation desk in annex and $1,910 for I-pad upgrade for fire department.
