Carmel City Hall will reopen to the public on Monday, July 6, with restrictions and measures designed to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. A week earlier, on June 29, some city employees will return to their offices after working from home since March 17, giving them a week to assess the precautionary measures and adjust procedures in advance of the July 6 public opening.
Visitors and employees will have their temperatures taken as they enter City Hall and will be required to wear masks, use hand sanitizer and practice physical distancing. The City will have a supply of disposable masks for those who enter the building without one. The public is encouraged to continue doing city business through emails and phone calls. Developers and others with construction and building projects should continue to submit plan documents through the new online portal. In-person meetings at City Hall will be only for city business and limited to 10 or fewer people.
Brainard
“We have taken unprecedented steps to safeguard our employees since the virus became known in central Indiana, while continuing to provide all city services. We have had our employees work remotely, when possible, made available COVID-19 testing, antibody testing, contact tracing and extensive educational outreach,” said Mayor Jim Brainard. “As we reopen City Hall, we plan to be diligent in following the guidelines issued by the CDC and other federal, state and local health and safety authorities. We want employees and the public to feel safe as they conduct business.”
The mayor plans to continue diligent tracking of hospitalization rates and the availability of ICU beds and ventilators in the Carmel area, looking for signs of increases as the state of Indiana continues to reopen different sectors of the economy. These key indicators will be used to determine if restrictions need to be reinstated as we reconnect the City.
City Hall has been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected and will continue to be on a daily basis. Employee work spaces and daily routines have been modified to minimize the risk of spreading viruses to other employees and visitors. All employees are required to be tested for COVID-19 before they return to City Hall. Where possible, contactless options have been installed to turn on lights and faucets and to open doors. Additional hand sanitizer stations have been placed throughout the building.
The re-opening for employees will be gradual, with each department identifying which employees will return and when. Those decisions will be based on the needs of the department, the possibility of continuing to work remotely and personal considerations of each employee who may be at-risk or are caregivers for children.
Public access to City Hall will be limited to the south doors, located off the city parking lot. As you enter, you should use the southeast door (near the reception desk) and as you exit, you should use the southwest door (closest to the elevators) in order to maintain physical distancing. The north doors will be locked, although they can be used to exit the building. Drinking fountains inside City Hall will remain shut off except for the “bottle filling” function.
All Carmel City Court hearing dates, originally set during the time City Hall was closed, have been rescheduled for a later date. Defendants have been notified of their new hearing dates, either by email (if an email address was provided) or by regular mail to the address on file with the Court. Anyone who had an original hearing date during the shutdown, but did not receive a notice, should call the Carmel City Clerk’s office at (317) 571-2440 to get their new hearing date.
In July, most hearings will be done remotely. In subsequent months, the court will resume in-person hearings with appropriate measures to limit the number of people coming into the courtroom. Anyone entering the building for court will be screened by officers providing court security. The screener will ask the questions for screening of COVID-19. Temperature will be taken by a touchless forehead thermometer. Masks will be provided and required if the person is not wearing a mask.
If you need to pay a fine, the Clerk’s Office will reopen on July 6. All payment of fines and costs are made to the Carmel City Clerk and can be done in any of the following ways:
- Online at GovPayNow.com
- By phone: 1-888-604-7888, enter payment code #5988
- In Person: with cash, money order or cashier’s check at the Clerk’s payment window on the second floor of City Hall.
- By mail: With cashier’s check or money order to Carmel City Clerk, 1 Civic Square, Carmel, IN 46032.
If you have questions about any of these measures, it is suggested that you call before you make plans to visit city offices. The main number into City Hall is 317-571-2400 or send an email to Carol Dixon, cdixon@carmel.in.gov.