Myers eyes ‘soft opening’ for city buildings by June 1

LACONIA — Municipal buildings could be reopening to the public within three weeks, according to a plan presented to the City Council Monday by City Manager Scott Myers.

City Hall and other municipal buildings have been closed to the public since the end of March, when restrictions were put in place in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus.

Although governmental offices were deemed an essential business under Gov. Chris Sununu’s stay-at-home order, the public has been required out of caution to conduct its business with various city departments either on the phone or online.

Myers said that the most city buildings will be opening either on Tuesday, May 26, or Monday, June 1.

The decision on when to reopen the Laconia Public Library would be made by the library trustees, he said.

City department heads met with Myers remotely last Thursday to discuss what the manager called a “soft opening.”

In preparation, Myers said that plastic shields have been placed at all counters in city offices which regularly deal with the public, such as the City Clerk’s Office and the Assessor’s Office. In addition, Myers said the city has an adequate supply of hand sanitizer and cloth face masks for city workers. He said members of the public will be encouraged to wear face masks inside any city building as well.

City Councilor Mark Haynes suggested anyone coming into a city building should be required to wear a face mask. But Myers questioned the legality of such a mandate and said he would refer Haynes’s idea to the city’s attorney.

One-way traffic in hallways and stairways would be implemented in City Hall, and someone would be designated to monitor the flow of people coming into the building to ensure that social-distancing guidelines were being followed.

Myers said he would continue to urge the public to use online services whenever possible. Those who need to have a face-to-face meeting with a city official should call beforehand and make an appointment so as to minimize waiting lines.

While there would be limited public access to City Hall, Myers said official city meetings, including the City Council and Planning Board, would continue to be conducted remotely for the foreseeable future.