Press Release | Office of the Mayor | Westland City Hall Resumes Normal Operations

For Immediate Release | Official Press Release

PRESS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE MAYOR

36300 Warren Road | Westland, Michigan | 48185

Office 734.467.3200 | Fax 734.422.1230

WWW.CITYOFWESTLAND.COM

Westland City Hall Resumes Normal Operations

Westland, MI (June 1, 2020) - The City of Westland will reopen to the public today at 9 a.m. Resuming departmental operations is part of the City's phased Return to Business Plan, which was announced last week. Today marks the start of phase 1 of the plan, in which Westland City Hall and the Jefferson Barns Community Vitality Center reopen to the public in limited capacities. The Assessing, Building, City Clerk, Economic Development, Finance, Planning, Public Service and Water/Sewer Departments will all resume normal operations.

In response to the pandemic and associated closures, the City placed 2/3 of its non-public safety employees on temporary furlough. With the implementation of phase 1 of the Return to Business plan, employees will be brought back from furlough as demand increases.

In preparation for their reopening, both buildings were thoroughly sanitized over the weekend. The city has also installed glass barriers around employee work stations and at the front counter to ensure staff can work and service residents safely.

Residents will still be encouraged to conduct city business on www.cityofwestland.com and to utilize the drop boxes located outside City Hall, but staff will be available to assist individuals who prefer to conduct business in person. Pursuant to State requirements, employees will be required to wear masks while working. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including masks, gloves and sanitizer will be provided to employees and residents conducting business in City Hall, if needed. All employees will be required to complete screening procedures and temperature checks before entering city buildings.

The City will not be hosting events or renting out city facilities and public meetings will still take place virtually at this time. The Westland City Council meeting scheduled for this evening at 7 p.m. will take place via Zoom.

"We have been hard at work to establish policies, procedures and cleaning schedules that keep our employees safe while allowing them to return to work ," commented Mayor Wild.

Westland will continue to evaluate the number of COVID-19 cases in the state before determining it is safe to move into the next stages of its plan, which will allow for in-person public meetings and the reopening of its other facilities and park amenities.

For more information, please call (734) 467-3200

Westland, Michigan is the state's 10th largest municipality, with a population of over 84,000 people who exhibit a great deal of pride in their All-American City. Westland has a thriving business community along with beautiful residential areas. The citizens enjoy a wide array of amenities and a quality of life that is second to none.

In 2014, Westland was rated as one of 24/7 Wall Street's America's Best 50 Cities to Live, offering residents and visitors an ideal blend of single-family affordable homes, apartments and condominiums, great schools, and access to numerous outdoor activities. Public safety is delivered by full-service, professional law enforcement and firefighting personnel. Westland Police Department, whose motto is protect and serve, provides emergency dispatch services to four cities and over 100,000 residents; the Westland Fire Department are licensed paramedics who responded to over 9,000 calls for service last year, about 85% being medical based. They never forget their mission of preserving life and property.

Westland is well-known as the premier destination for shopping and dining in Wayne County with hundreds of shops and restaurants anchored by the Westland Shopping Center, one of the country's original four regional malls.

The City is served by two public school districts; Wayne-Westland Community Schools serving 12,000 youth was recently named one of the Best School in Michigan by WXYZ-TV and is the proud recipient of 14 Golden Apple and two Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Awards. Livonia Public Schools, educating nearly 15,000 students, is proud of their MEAP/MME scores that exceed state averages and the District has also earned Golden Apple and Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Awards.

The City provides competitive incentives for those who are interested in investing in Westland, making it one of the hottest investment markets in the region. Our Fast-Track to Business Team, which consists of key decision makers who work diligently on a development plan will "cut the red tape" and expedite the approval process for new business development.