March 16, 2020
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MARCH 16 COVID-19 UPDATE
A Message from Newcastle Mayor Linda Newing and City Manager Rob Wyman
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Dear Newcastle Community,
The COVID-19 public health emergency has had a significant impact on the nation, forcing everyone to change their routines and take extraordinary measures to slow the spread of this virus. On Sunday, Gov. Inslee ordered a statewide shutdown of bars, restaurants and other entertainment/recreational facilities.
Please listen to local public health officials and follow their guidelines. We understand that these actions will have a painful, far-reaching impact on the everyday lives of our residents and businesses, but they are necessary to slow the spread of this virus.
In order to reduce transmission of the novel coronavirus and adhere to public health directives for social distancing,
we will close Newcastle City Hall to the public effective immediately through at least Friday, March 27
. We will also transition all public City meetings to remote video conferencing. Members of the public will still have a chance to listen, watch and participate (read below for instructions on how to get involved). We apologize for the inconvenience and sincerely appreciate your understanding as we work to prioritize the safety and welfare of our residents, customers and employees.
Now, more than ever, it’s vital that we come together as a community to support each other while we all navigate through this challenging time. Check in on your neighbors and see how they’re doing. Offer to pick up groceries for those who cannot leave their home. Support our Newcastle restaurants by ordering take-out or having food delivered, and be on the lookout for our
"Newcastle To Go"
campaign launching this week.
It’s a scary and confusing time right now and the situation is evolving by the minute. But if anything is certain, it's that Newcastle is a close-knit, resilient community and we'll get through this together. A strong sense of community will carry us through this difficult time!
Please read the entire newsletter for specific updates on the City Hall closure and instructions on how to watch the City Council meeting.
Thank you,
Newcastle Mayor Linda Newing and City Manager Rob Wyman
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Newcastle City Hall Closed
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The City of Newcastle is taking proactive steps to protect the health of our customers, residents and staff. In order to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and adhere to public health directives for social distancing, Newcastle City Hall will be closed to the public effective immediately through at least Friday, March 27.
During that time, Newcastle City Hall will be temporarily closed to in-person services and staff will be working from home. Staff will still be available by phone and email to provide assistance and answer questions during regular business hours (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Please be assured that essential services, namely police and fire protection, will continue uninterrupted.
“To be clear, we are not shutting down the City or stopping services. We are evolving with the crisis and doing our part to help reduce the spread of the virus as best we can,” said Newcastle City Manager Rob Wyman.
Please note: The closure does not affect the businesses located in Newcastle City Hall. Reach out to them directly for any changes to their schedules.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
- In the event of an emergency, please dial 911. For non-emergency police services or inquiries, please call 206-296-3311.
- For general questions, call City Hall at 425-649-4444 and leave a message. City staff will be checking the line frequently throughout the day and will respond to your inquiry as soon as possible.
- Report issues such as parks/trails concerns, problems involving storm drainage, streets, traffic signals and trees or other vegetation online using YourGov yourgov.cartegraph.com.
- If you’re looking to chat with a specific staff member, you can view our staff directory at newcastlewa.gov/contact. All staff members will be available by email and will get back to you as soon as possible.
- The City is still accepting electronic permit application submittals during the closure. Submit all building permits online at mybuildingpermit.com.
- Inspections will continue, however some inspections of occupied spaces (such as in-home residences) will be done via video.
- Parks remain open, however, all Lake Boren Park shelter reservations will be canceled through the month of April. The restrooms at Lake Boren Park will be temporarily closed as well.
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Participate in the Newcastle City Council Meeting
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Cities across the region, including Renton, are conducting public meetings via teleconference per King County recommendations to slow the spread of COVID-19. Newcastle joins those ranks on Tuesday, when the City Council meeting will be held via Zoom video conference. Members of the public will still have a chance to listen, watch and participate.
WATCH AND LISTEN
- Residents can watch and listen to the meeting online by using any web-enabled device to access this link: https://zoom.us/j/835754346. Zoom will walk you through the setup. If you log-in through the Zoom app, it will ask for your name and email address. If you join the meeting from your browser, you will only be asked to submit your name.
- Participants will be placed on mute until any public comment periods, at which point everyone will be given a chance to speak, one by one.
LISTEN
- You can also join the meeting by telephone. Call 1-669-900-9128 and input the Meeting ID 835 754 346 to listen and participate. At that time, you will be prompted to enter a unique participant ID. This will not apply to the general public, so press # to skip.
- Participants will be placed on mute until any public comment periods, at which point everyone will be given a chance to speak, one by one.
WRITE
- Submit your comments to the Council in writing. Email your remarks to cityclerk@newcastlewa.gov by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17.
The Newcastle City Council meeting starts at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17. View the meeting agenda packet
here
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Bars, Restaurants, Gyms Closed
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In case you missed it, Gov. Inslee announced a statewide closure on restaurants, bars and entertainment/recreational facilities in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Here are the full details courtesy of Public Health — Seattle & King County:
To limit the spread of COVID-19, King County Executive Dow Constantine and Health Officer Jeff Duchin announced a new Local Health Order that directed public health actions effective Monday, March 16.
- All events with more than 50 people are prohibited until further notice
- All events with fewer than 50 people are discouraged and prohibited unless organizers observe COVID-19 prevention measure.
- All bars, dance clubs, fitness and health clubs, movie theaters, nightclubs, and other social and recreational establishments are shut down until at least March 31.
- All restaurants and food service establishments cannot provide dining room service. They may remain open for drive-through, takeout and delivery.
- All other retail – including banks, grocery stores, hardware stores and pharmacies – should and may remain open, provided they observe COVID-19 prevention measures.
Under the order, events include: community, civic, public, leisure, or sporting events; parades; concerts; festivals; conventions; fundraisers; and similar activities.
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The Newcastle email newsletter is published before every City Council meeting. Learn more about the newsletter, see an archive of past newsletters and sign up to receive it at
newcastlewa.gov/newsletters
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