City of Berkley COVID-19 Update - March 23, 2020
At 11 AM this morning Governor Whitmer has announced and signed the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” executive order which begins at 12:01 AM Tuesday, March 24, 2020.
What does this mean?
This executive order directs all non-critical businesses to temporarily close, all Michiganders to stay home or six feet away from others during the COVID-19 crisis for at least the next three weeks.
YOU CAN:
• Go to the grocery store or pick up take-out food.
• Go to the pharmacy to pick up a needed prescription.
• Engage in outdoor activities like walking, hiking, running, biking.
• Go to the hospital or secure any care necessary to address a medical emergency or to preserve your health or the health of a loved one.
• Fill your car with gas.
• Return to Michigan to a home or place of residence from outside the State.
• Leave the State for a home or residence elsewhere.
• Walk your pets and take them to the veterinarian for needed medical care.
YOU MAY NOT:
• Leave the home to work unless your employer designates you as a critical infrastructure worker.
• Participate in any public gatherings.
• Visit someone in the hospital, nursing home, or other residential care facilities (with limited exceptions).
• Go to the mall or to restaurants.
BUSINESSES THAT REMAIN OPEN FOR IN-PERSON WORK MUST TAKE AGGRESSIVE STEPS TO MINIMIZE THE VIRUS’S SPREAD. THEY MUST:
• Promote remote work to the fullest extent possible.
• Restrict the number of workers present in-person on the job.
• Keep employees at least six feet from one another to the maximum extent possible and enabling social distancing for customers who are standing in line.
• Any other social distancing practices and mitigation measures recommended by the Centers for Disease Control
We are continuing to take all necessary precautions to the fullest extent in order to keep our staff and community safe per the guidance of the State and County. It is important to note that during a Public Health crisis of this nature that we follow the State and County's Health office's as they are our emergency operations lead and health experts since we do not have public health officials on staff. We follow their lead, not for political cover but because they are the experts in dealing with this Public Health crisis and are able to make qualified decisions about next steps.
"This is a time for ALL Berkley residents to show they care and can abide by the Governor's order," said Matt Baumgarten, Berkley City Manager. "As always, Berkley's public servants will still work to deliver essential services. We have taken every step possible to keep employees safe and services in place. Unfortunately, we had to make the difficult decision to close our facilities to the public. However, even though you cannot see us at work, Berkley residents will still see their services continue."
Following the executive orders from Governor Whitmer, we would like to update the community with what our City departments are doing and how you can get a hold of them:
- City Hall, Public Works, the Community Center, and Library are closed. Each department has been set-up to work remotely with minimal office check-ins in order to check mail, process paperwork, and other essential materials.
- Public Safety will remain open, however, we encourage the community to call ahead before physically visiting at 248-658-3380. Additionally, Public Safety has activated its Online Reporting System for non-emergency or no suspects type incidents. Visit the public safety website for details on what types of crimes can be reported online or to start a report if needed. Learn more at berkleypublicsafety.org.
- All public meetings are canceled until further notice (e.g. City Council, Planning Commission, ZBA, and all advisory boards/commission). We are currently working on virtual solutions for hosting our public meetings. Please stay tuned for more details.
- Public Works will continue with its "on-call" field crews for essential services and needs. Their mainline will continue to be answered during normal business hours. For additional questions, please contact them at publicworks@berkleymich.net.
- Residents and community members can pay their water bills and other utilities online or at our secure dropbox located at City Hall (3338 Coolidge Hwy). To learn more about how to pay online, head to our Treasury page on our website. If you have additional questions, you can reach the Treasury Department at treasury@berkleymich.net.
- All non-essential permits and inspections will be suspended per the Governor's Executive Order that limits business operations to essential services only. New permits may be issued only for essential maintenance or repairs that are necessary to maintain and improve the safety, sanitation, and essential operations of residences per LARA guidance. In line with this same standard, the City of Berkley will no longer be conducting interior or exterior inspections for non-essential construction projects; including new home construction.
Applications for new permits may be submitted to Community Development via mail, email, or the City's secured dropbox. Each application will be reviewed per our normal application process; however, no non-essential permits will be issued until the Stay Home, Stay Safe Executive Order is lifted by the Governor. Determinations of essential and non-essential permitted work will be made by Berkley's Community Development Department on a case-by-case basis. We will keep records of all submitted applications and permits and will have them ready to be issued, when appropriate. For further questions, contact Community Development at building@berkleymich.net.
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Code Enforcement can be reached at codeofficer@berkleymich.net.
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For any inquiries related to the Clerk's Office, please contact them at clerk@berkleymich.net.
- Those who have registered for a Parks & Recreation program, event, or activity that is taking place this month will automatically receive a refund. Please contact them at parks@berkleymich.net. You can also stay connected with Parks & Rec by following their Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BerkleyParksandRec/.
- We are no longer offering Senior busing transportation as an option due to the risk of exposure to our drivers and the residents.
- Play structures are closed to the public but PARKS are still open.
- The Library has asked its patrons to hold onto items they have checked out and return them after the Library opens. Overdue fees will be waived for overdue items. For additional questions or inquiries, contact them at library@berkleymich.net. You can also stay connected with the Library by following their Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BerkleyPublicLibrary/.
Be sure to follow us via social media, the city website, and our email notification system as we will be sharing through those channels as more information is provided.
Stay up-to-date with the County:
Oakland County has its OakAlerts notification system where they share the latest updates regarding COVID-19. Residents are encouraged to join by texting OAKGOV to 287-48 to retrieve them.
Additionally, information from Oakland County Health Department is updated on their website OakGov.com/Health as it becomes available. The Oakland County Nurse on Call is also available at 800-848-5533, Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM- 5:00 PM or you can email noc@oakgov.com.
Stay up-to-date with the State: