City of Whitefish issued the following announcement.
The City of Whitefish was notified late on Friday, September 18, 2020 that an employee working at City Hall had tested positive for COVID-19. The employee last worked at City Hall on Thursday, September 17, 2020. Upon notification, the City immediately began working with the individual and the Flathead City-County Health Department to perform contact tracing. All city employees considered close contacts were notified Friday evening and directed to isolate themselves at home while awaiting direction from the Health Department. As with all confirmed cases, the Health Department contacts anyone considered a close contact.
Based on the duration of interactions with the public, the Plexiglas barriers, the mandatory use of face coverings, and frequent sanitization protocols, there is no increased risk to customers who visited City Hall between September 14th and September 17th. To further protect the public and employees, City Hall will close until further notice starting Monday, September 21, 2020, with the exception of the City Council meeting on Monday, September 21, 2020, starting at 7:10 pm.
“Out of an abundance of caution for the health and well-being of our customers and employees, as well as to allow employees to work remotely as much as possible, we have chosen to temporarily close City Hall,” said City Manager Dana Smith. “With all potentially exposed employees isolating at home and a deep cleaning of City Hall scheduled for Sunday, we will still hold the City Council meeting scheduled for Monday evening. At the meeting, the Council will consider an emergency ordinance to hold City Council and other board and committee meetings remotely.”
During the closure of City Hall to the public, all City services will remain available remotely, by phone or email. The vestibule at City Hall will be open for the public to drop off building plans or other applications. Payments may be mailed, dropped off in the payment drop box off Baker Avenue, or made by credit card over the phone by calling 406-863-2400 or online at www.cityofwhitefish.org.
“The health and safety of our customers and employees is our highest priority,” said Smith. “We appreciate your understanding as we navigate these challenging times. Please remember to follow the guidance from the Health Department and the Governor’s directives to help us slow the spread of COVID-19.”
The public is also encouraged to sign up for notifications on the City’s new web site at www.cityofwhitefish.org.
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