With the coronavirus still locking down operations across Canada and the world, Swift Current City Hall will remain closed.

While making the shift to digital and socially distant bill payments and communications, the City office is waiting until phase three of the Re-open Saskatchewan Plan to consider reopening City Hall. Phase four will see the City reopen recreational facilities.

Phase three of the Re-Open Saskatchewan Plan goes live, tentatively, on June 8, while a date for phase four has not yet been set.

Tim Marcus, the City of Swift Current chief administrative officer, explained their decision to stay closed.

“There’s a lot of essential staff in this building, as well, we want to ensure that we protect them so that we don’t cripple any City services by having people fall ill. That was the reason that City Hall was closed in the first place.”

Many cities in the province plan to consider reopening once phase three begins.

In the meantime, the City has a physical deposit box available for residents to use to pay their bills, as well as through their banks.

They are currently developing a new online portal for people to access their utility bills and also pay those bills. The development is almost complete on that, and testing is scheduled to ensure the system functions as intended.

That system has been in the works for around two years.

Telephones and Zoom meetings have been used to fulfil various other communication needs. So far, Marcus said there were no unforeseen complications that have come up since doing so.

The City currently isn’t at full staff as facilities remain closed, and some seasonal and student employees haven’t been brought on as they typically are. Staffing is expected to be adjusted with the onset of phase three and four.