City of Castle Hills – City Hall Operations with regards to COVID-19
CASTLE HILLS, Texas – Out of an abundance of caution and in an effort to practice social distancing and avoid introducing COVID-19 (Coronavirus) to our employees and potentially to the residents we serve on a daily basis. The City of Castle Hills has implemented certain operational procedures for our employees, reset municipal court for March and suspended nonessential areas of operations in keeping with or adhering to federal and state initiatives.
- Beginning, today, Castle Hills Fire Department (CHFD) will screen employees’ temperatures and overall health on a daily basis at the fire station before reporting to workduring this public health emergency. CHFD has established proper protocols to be followed to ensure our personnel are receiving the correct level of care.
- Effective immediately, our passport services will be temporarily suspended beginning today March 17, 2020 through April 3, 2020. We will resume this service on Monday, April 6, 2020.
- The City of Castle Hills will continue issuing permits, submitting plans for review and scheduling inspections. However, we will be encouraging residents and contractors through social media and the City website to apply for permits online as well pay for the permit by telephone or online. Permits can be completed an online permit on the City’s website: www.cityofcastlehills.com/2224/How-to-Obtain-a-Permit.
- The City of Castle Hills will be resetting the March 19, 2020 Municipal Court docket. All defendants set for a hearing on this date will be rescheduled and will receive written notice from the Court advising of a new date and time. Anyone wanting to pay a court fine can still do so on the City’s website: www.cityofcastlehills.com/2158/Municipal-Court.
- City staff will be doing their part to practice social distancing around City Hall by utilizing phone/email communication more frequently as opposed to direct interaction. City staff is in the process of identifying mission critical priorities to ensure stability in our City services as it pertains to police, fire and sanitation.
- We are also evaluating certain modifications in our workforce for employees who are potentially impacted by prolonged
school closures and who may need to stay home with their children by alternating shifts when feasible and coordinating with staff who may have childcare needs based on these school or daycare closures. We also canceled any non-essential business travel at this time. - CHFD has received equipment (infection control kits which includes masks and gloves) to protect our first responders during this time. We have also added additional frequency for cleaning services and have had hand sanitizer dispensers installed around City Hall.
- The City of Castle Hills is working with Castle Hills Community Organization (CHCO) and the Castle Hills Woman’s Club (CHWC) to implement a system to reach out to our neighbors who may need help during this time of need. The CHCO and CHWC are working to gather volunteers in order to check-in on neighbors to see if they have the resources available to our seniors and those that are most vulnerable if infected.
We will continue to update the community as necessary on other potential changes to procedures and protocols based any developments related to concerns with COVID-19 which might impact the City of Castle Hills, if necessary. This is a fluid, evolving situation and we are taking actions to follow the most recent guidelines from our national and local health authorities.
The City will continue to evaluate employee status and safety, and implement measures needed for public facing operations and social distancing. We would rather operate with extreme caution for our employees and residents, in order to do our part in halting the possible spread of COVID-19 within our community.
Future meetings and other City events scheduled to occur will be evaluated in the near future. Any updates or changes will be provided to residents via our City website and social media pages as they become available.
Texas Health and Human Services continues to recommend the following practices to help prevent the spread of coronavirus:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports the following symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure:
- Fever
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
For more information, please visit the following CDC website: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
City of Castle Hills - City Hall Operations with regards to COVID-19