May 9, 2020 3 min read

Washington City Council approved Thursday a citywide reopening plan contingent upon Gov. Tom Wolf, who moved Washington County into the “yellow phase” of reopening Friday afternoon.

Led by police Chief Robert Wilson, the city’s safety committee put together a reopening plan with protocols that address a “new normal” to which employees and residents will need to adjust. Wilson said the documented plan is subject to frequent review and possible change as new information becomes available and new guidelines are set by the state or Centers for Disease Control.

“It’s a very fluid situation,” Mayor Scott Putnam said during the meeting. “I do believe it’s a plan we are going to have to revisit multiple times.”

Anyone entering city facilities will have to wear a mask or face guard, and abide by social distancing guidelines or required traffic patterns. City employees, including police and firefighters, will need to wear masks when dealing with the public, according to the document.

City Hall employees will either use restrooms upstairs or in the tax office, but the main floor restroom will be designated for public use and cleaned after use. According to the document, cleaning personnel will “sanitize public areas once per hour.”

Employees will need to “self-check” their temperatures at home before coming into work, according to the plan. Should any employee develop symptoms of COVID-19, they would be sent home. Their work area, surfaces and devices would need to be sanitized and any other employees possibly exposed to the sick worker would be notified.

City Council meetings will also look different, as chairs in the chamber will be placed six feet apart and only 25 people will be allowed in the room. Public participants will need to enter from the side door facing Brownson Avenue and will have their temperatures checked upon entering. The past two council meetings took place via video conferencing.

The plan also calls for certain closures for the rest of 2020, based on the CDC’s guidance on large crowds, social distancing and the potential for a second wave of the virus. These closings could include Washington Park pool and pavilions, car shows, parades and fireworks, and youth baseball events, according to the document.

Councilman Matt Staniszewski protested that the pool and pavilions should open this season as soon as possible, stating that he believed the decision was “premature.”

“We need to get back to business as historically normal as opposed to a new normal,” he said during the meeting. “We need to provide those recreational outlets.”

Wilson and Putnam reminded Staniszewski that the plan would be reviewed often and could be changed if needed throughout the summer. Putnam and Councilman Ken Westcott both noted that the cost of opening the pool may be too high to justify only getting half a season’s use.

The city does plan to reopen the farmers market June 18 in the Main Street pavilion, but vendors and volunteers must wear masks and gloves. All vendors will have hand sanitizer at their tables, and all will have to have a barrier table in front of their space to promote social distancing.

The market will have two designated entrances with hand sanitizer at each. There won’t be any music, community table or pets, and people will be encouraged to leave when finished shopping, according to the plan.