SIDNEY — “Starting today (Wednesday, May 13), city hall will begin the reopening transition. For the time being, only those customers, vendors and residents with pre-scheduled appointments will be admitted to the building. Customers without scheduled appointments will not be admitted,” said City Manager Mark Cundiff. “The health and safety of our employees and our customers continue to be our foremost concern. While this limited re-opening is a step forward, we will continue to take precautions for both our employees and our customers.”

Cundiff shared the following precautions will be required for all those seeking appointments with city staff members:

1. No children or persons other than the person or persons approved for the appointment will be admitted to the city facility.

2. Temperatures will be taken prior to entry to building. Visitors with temperatures of 99 degrees or above will not be admitted.

3. Screening questions will also be asked of all visitors prior to entrance to the building to confirm no obvious signs or symptoms. An affirmative answer to any of the questions will disallow entry to the building.

4. A cloth mask (or better) must be worn while in the building. No mask, no entry. Visitors must maintain six foot physical distance at all times while in the building.

5. Frequent use of hand sanitizer is strongly encouraged.

6. Visitors must call the staff member with whom they have an appointment to alert them of their arrival. Staff will meet the visitor at the door and conduct the screening. Doors to the city facilities will remain locked.

7. Customers requesting an appointment to receive help preparing their Sidney income tax return are encouraged to book the appointment well in advance of the July 15, 2020, filing deadline, as time slots may fill quickly.

“We continue to encourage our customers, vendors and residents to conduct their business by email or telephone whenever possible to limit the exposure of our staff members,” said Cundiff. “Residents should continue to use online options. A majority of the applications and forms, including Sidney tax forms, are available on the city’s website and staff will be available via telephone to answer questions. The city also offers online utility bill payment options and will accept credit card payments over the phone by calling the Revenue Collection Department at 937.498.8114. In addition, there is a drop box available at the front entrance of City Hall where residents may leave their payments, applications and tax returns.”

For additional information about how the COVID-19 pandemic as it pertains to city operations, visit the city’s COVID-19 Update website, www.sidneyoh.com/465/COVID-19-Update.