City of Cheyenne Work Plan March 16 Thru March 27

City 3-16-20

In light of the pandemic case of COVID-19 and in response to the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) recommendations to limit social contact, the City of Cheyenne is taking the following measurers as broken down by department.  This will continue through the end of the month and re-evaluated at that time. The city’s IT Department will be re-routing city office phones to cell phones to ensure public access communication with city departments. There may be some disruption in phone lines as this process is worked through. 

“These are certainly unprecedented times, and we at city hall want to ensure the community that we are here for you and remain able to serve you. By taking measures now to limit personal contact, it’s our hope we can reduce the spread of this virus,” said Mayor Marian Orr. “I and your other community leaders continue to be in frequent communication.  We will be conferencing together on a daily basis and my office will provide those updates to the public via news organizations and social media outlets. If you are need of city services or have a question and cannot access that department please email me at mayor@cheyennecity.org. I know it can feel unsettling, perhaps even scary right now, but I have faith in the fact Cheyenne is a caring community and we will get through this together.”

MAYOR

The mayor and staff will be working remotely from home.  In-person meetings are being postponed and rescheduled.  Public speaking engagements to groups larger than 50 individuals as well as visits to schools or nursing homes are postponed.  Public Information Officer (PIO) Michael Skinner will serve as the single point PIO for communication regarding COVID-19 combined efforts of Laramie County Health, Laramie County, Emergency Management, Commissioners, and Council.  Daily briefings will be sent to news organizations and posted to social media outlets.

CITY ATTORNEY

The City Attorney’s office will be working remotely from home with the exception of the prosecuting attorney who will attend appropriate municipal court hearings.

MUNICIPAL COURT/JUVENILE COURT

Municipal court hearings will continue as scheduled.  It is being taken under consideration that fines and fees be reduced if paid on-line to incentivize people to not pay in person. Juvenile court hearings are being taken care of on a case-by-case basis.

ENGINEERING

  • New Engineering Plan Reviews and Projects will be accepted electronically.   All questions and interaction of staff will be conducted via cell phone, email, and desk phone forwarding as required.
  • Engineering Plan and Development reviews will be completed electronically as required.
  • Public meetings will be attended by City Engineer Tom Cobb or Deputy Wes Bay for Council, Finance, Public Services meetings.
  • Construction Inspectors will be provided as needed and contacted via cell. 
  • Construction Project Management will be handled remotely and through email when possible.  If required, attendance may be required for processing pay requests, on-site questions, from contractors, etc.
  • GIS department or personnel will be provided on an as needed basis.
  • Department to remain flexible to adapt as required to accommodate requirements as needed.

TREASURY

The City Treasurer’s Department will be operating remotely with the exception of various payroll functions and the payable for the Council Meeting on March 23rd.  The payable (paying vendor invoices) can be run remotely but staff will need come into the office to print checks on March 19th or 20th. No customer invoices will be run until the City offices are re-opened.  All purchasing pre-bid and bid openings will be postponed. 

PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT /MPO

The Planning and Development Department and Metropolitan Planning Organization will be operating remotely. Both offices will be closed to walk-up customer traffic. During this time both offices will continue to focus on review of existing projects and answering questions of the public.  New projects will be accepted electronically.  Staff will be contacting applicants with pending applications on the next steps in the public review process (Board of Adjustment/Planning Commission/City Council). 

PUBLIC WORKS

Public Works Administration will work from home.  Transit will cancel route busses but will provide Paratransit service as scheduled. Sanitation will provide normally scheduled commercial and residential services. The Compost Facility will close. The Household Hazardous Waste Facility will close (no drop off of e-waste or household hazardous). The Landfill will operate as normal. Street & Alley will provide on-call, locate (mark for digs), and weather event service. Traffic Maintenance will provide on-call and locate (mark for digs). Facilities Maintenance will provide on-call and minimal custodial services. Fleet Maintenance will reduce staff rotating staff to provide essential services for Fire, PD, Street & Alley, Traffic Maintenance as required.

COMMUNITY RECREATION AND EVENTS

Botanic Gardens: Closed to the public for two weeks, volunteers, part-time, and seasonals are not working, events/rentals are cancelled, full time staff will be working both from home and in the building, tending seedlings, maintenance, etc.  Little to no direct public contact.

Forestry: Full-time staff will be tending to essential duties, primarily outdoors with little to no direct public contact.  Part-time employees are not working.

Recreation: Programs, classes, sports leagues, gymnastics, buildings, childcare have all been cancelled/closed for two weeks.  Credits will be given on a pro-rata basis.  Full time staff will work with little to no direct public contact—planning, programming, and maintenance projects.  Part-time employees are not working,

Ice and Events:  Closed to the public for two weeks.  Ice will be taken out the end of this week. Only full-time staff will be working on cleaning, maintenance, and projects.

Aquatics: Pool was already closed for maintenance week, so will continue another week.  Only full time staff.

Golf: Full-time staff will be tending to essential duties, primarily outdoors with little to no direct public contact.  Part-time employees are not working.

Civic Center: All shows/events have been cancelled through April 4.  Only full-time staff will be working on ticket refunds, re-scheduling, cleaning, maintenance, and projects.

Program & Facilities: Kiwanis Community House will be closed.  Full-time staff will be fielding calls, dealing with cancellations, postponements, refunds, credits, etc.

Cemetery: Full time staff will be working.  Large gravesite services are suspended and will be conducted as during inclement weather.

Clean & Safe: Full time crew will continue working, parking garage restroom will be closed to the public.

Parks: Full time crew will continue work, preparing for summer season.  If this work is not done now, it will further delay summer season sports.  Part-time and seasonals will not be working.  Restrooms will remain closed.

This is the current plan of operation and subject to change as warranted and conditions change.

CITY CLERK

Cemetery – will continue communication with cemetery personnel remotely. Clerk’s office will be closed to walk-up customer traffic. Business licenses/permits applications, if submitted electronically, will be accepted on-line and will be processed when City reopens as swiftly as possible. Public meetings- Either City Clerk Kris Jones or Deputy Kylie Soden will be present for Council, Fire Negotiations, Finance Committee, Public Services Committee. All other functions will be handled remotely and through email when possible. 

HUMAN RESOURCES

HR is prepared to work from home as they went through an exercise last week to test internet connectivity, Outlook 365, and Paycom remotely.  Notice will be posted on the door that staff will be available via prescheduled appointments to process matters such as workers compensation claims, I9 verifications, and new hire onboarding. 

YOUTH ALTERNATIVES

Counseling and Court staff will work remotely from home and will maintain phone contact with clients during this time. They will coordinate with the Court regarding the juvenile docket schedule. The office number will be forwarded to the afterhours emergency line with a counselor available 24/7 to address community needs.  Mayor’s Youth Council activities have been cancelled through April 6.

BOARD OF PUBLIC UTILITIES

Crews will continue to work as needed throughout the community.  If you are making a payment for water and sewer services in person, please view all payment options at https://www.cheyennecity.org/1917/Payment-Methods