Merced City Hall closes to public due to coronavirus. Essential services will continue
The City of Merced announced Tuesday it would close the Merced Civic Center’s doors in response to coronavirus concerns, according to a city news release.
City Hall shut down to the public, effective 5 p.m. Tuesday.
“City Hall will continue to function, just in a different capacity,” said City Manager Steve Carrigan in the release. “We will deliver services, just in a way that is safe for the public and for our employees.”
The City of Merced declared a local emergency Friday, following similar announcements by the county, state and nation. Merced’s closures will be evaluated weekly as part of its local emergency.
Essential services such as fire, police, refuse collection, sewer and water will continue unaffected, the release says.
However, public access to the fire department, the park and recreation office, the public works department, police station and welcome center will cease.
City government will continue to function, but without direct contact with the public. Residents may conduct city business online or by calling, emailing or faxing. Delays may arise, given the changes.
“We have heard from the President and the Governor that it is important to limit public contact and to reduce the size of public gatherings,” said Merced Mayor Mike Murphy in the release. “We are trying to do our part during this public health emergency.”
To comply with social distancing recommendations, city employees will transition to working from home when possible or on staggered shifts after 5 p.m. Friday.
The closure means residents will be unable to pay utility bills or make other payments in person. Payments can be made by calling 209-388-7289, paying online at www.cityofmerced.org, using the dropbox outside City Hall (no cash allowed) or mailing payments (no cash allowed).
“We will not be charging people late fees and no new water services will be shut off if people cannot make their payments during this emergency,” Finance Officer Venus Rodriguez said in the release. “However, they still will ultimately be responsible for their bills.”
Additionally, only passengers with tickets will be allowed access to the Merced Regional Airport.
Park restrooms and the bulky item drop off site are closed as well. The City of Merced will no longer rent its facilities during the emergency.
Many city board and commission meetings have been canceled, and city-sponsored activities have been canceled or postponed.
As of Monday, there were no confirmed COVID-19 cases in Merced County.
This story was originally published March 17, 2020 at 3:15 PM.
