March 14, 2020
Dear Constituents of Garibaldi and surrounding areas:
As we deal with the emerging and ongoing circumstances of the COVID-19 virus, it is crucial that we collectively ensure best practices to protect ourselves, and those in our community. To this end, I wanted to communicate to all of you the steps that Garibaldi is taking in response to the current situation.
The City will be closing the administrative and public works offices as a preventative measure starting Monday March 16th, 2020 through April 1st, 2020. City staff members will continue to be available by phone and email and will be reporting to work. If you need assistance with planning, utility billing, public works, or general inquiry please communicate your needs to the appropriate department. Payments can continue to be made either through the drop box outside City Hall, by phone, or online, here https://www.ci.garibaldi.or.us/
We have also made the decision to refrain from suspending any past due utility accounts so that all residents and end users continue to have uninterrupted access to water for hygiene and public health. As our shared situation unfolds, we will be making a statement as to when regular billing will resume. It is paramount that we put the health and welfare of our community first at this time.
We will be holding our March City Council and Planning Commission meetings as scheduled but we ask that all potential participants please take measure of their own health and welfare, and that of the community, before attending.
In closing I want to remind residents that it is important to continue to support our local businesses when practical. They will most likely be experiencing a downturn in traffic given the state of emergency declared at the federal, state, and local level. It is in times like these that we must support one another, safely, and take care of our community as a whole. This is what has always differentiated Garibaldi, and I see no reason to stop now so long as personal precautions such as those suggested by the Oregon Health Authority are followed.
https://sharedsystems.dhsoha.state.or.us/DHSForms/Served//LE2356.pdf
Please be prudent in protecting yourselves, and your loved ones by following the recommendations listed above, and by practicing social distancing. Thank you for your continued civic participation and interest.
Mayor Judy Riggs