Franklin County Administrator, Kenneth N. Wilson this morning announced that some Franklin County agencies would begin bringing staff back into their usual work stations and some offices would be renewing access to the public, but with significant restrictions.
“County facilities are expanding in-person access for essential business, but this doesn’t mean that the public needs to come to a county building to conduct their business,” said Wilson. “Many services are available online, over the phone, or through the mail.”
Many agencies are also operating in different spaces than they were before in order to promote social distancing, and are open during modified hours and schedules.
“Anyone who is coming to a county building should call ahead and check the website of whichever agency they’re coming to visit,” said Wilson. “You don’t want to go to the trouble of coming in only to discover that the agency you need has moved or isn’t open, and we don’t want any more people in the buildings than necessary.”
Many county employees will continue to work from home for the time being, and all facilities have instituted rules to help keep employees and the public safe. The Board of Commissioners will continue to meet virtually rather than in-person for the time being.
Safety protocols for entering a county building include:
- Wearing a mask or facial covering is strongly encouraged and some courts have mandated that they be worn, so some areas may not be accessible without a mask that covers the nose and mouth.
- Maintain six feet of separation between yourself and others
- No more than 10 people in any one group
- No more than 3 people to an elevator (groups that live together can ride together)
- Wash or sanitize your hands before entering and after leaving the building
- Board of Commissioners employees are required to wear masks and check themselves daily for symptoms of illness
County buildings have remained open throughout the public health crisis, though with very strict limitations and modified hours since Administrator Wilson ordered them closed to all but essential business on March 20
th. The new restrictions, though relaxed, will continue to limit contact between people; many services will be provided on the first floors of buildings to limit the number of people in the elevators, and buildings will be kept to about half of the normal number of occupants.
“I couldn’t be more proud of our Franklin County team that has worked so hard to safely continue delivering services to the public throughout this unprecedented time,” said Wilson. “We also ask for patience from the public as we start to slowly get back to something like normal.”
More information can be found at
franklincountyohio.gov.