KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — The City of Portage and Oshtemo Charter Township have both announced that they will be closing their facilities at 5 p.m. Monday due to coronavirus concerns.
Oshtemo Township officials said that all business will be conducted remotely through mail, email, telephone, appointment, and the outdoor drop box. The phone lines will remain open Monday -Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Township will remain under these operations until April 6.
Currently, public meetings of the Board, Planning Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals, and Downtown Development Authority are planning to continue as scheduled. However, in accordance with social distancing guidelines, alternatives will be offered to participate.
Meetings will be streamed live via Facebook, as well as uploaded to the Public Media Network. All comments can be provided to officials by email or letter in advance of the meeting.
Although the facility will be sanitized prior to the meeting, officials say that citizens should attend at their own risk.
All contact information for township officials can be found online at https://oshtemo.org/contact/.
Meanwhile in Portage, city officials have adopted a similar strategy. To begin with, officials say that they have activated the Emergency Coordination Center (ECC), which will allow for “a coordinated response, as well as access to regional and national resources.”
Starting at 5 p.m. on Monday, March 16, all city facilities will be closed to the public until further notice.
Portage citizens are encouraged to conduct business via phone, e-mail, U.S. Mail, the 24-hour drop box or online at portagemi.gov. Essential services will still be provided for citizens.
Planning Commission, Board of Review and City Council meetings are still going ahead as scheduled.
Planning Commission and City Council meetings can be viewed via cable access (Spectrum subscribers on channel 995, AT&T subscribers on channel 99) or via live Stream at portagemi.viebit.com/.
“We are working diligently to balance the need to provide city services to the public while protecting the health and welfare of Portage residents and city employees,” Portage City Manager Joe La Margo said. “As the situation changes, so too will our response.”
Updates for Portage can be viewed online at portagemi.gov or facebook.com/CityofPortageMI.
Questions regarding city operations can be answered by the Portage Office of City Manager at (269) 329-4400. Healthcare related questions can be answered by the Kalamazoo County HCS call center at (269) 373-5267.
