March 27, 2020

To All City Employees:

As we finish the second week of City Hall being closed to the public and having adjusted operational protocols in place, I wanted to thank you again for your continued dedication to the City of Norwalk. This is not easy for any of us, and I value your commitment to this great community.

I also wanted to share an update with you all. Next week (March 30 – April 3), we will continue with the same protocols in place as the last two weeks. Your direct supervisors have been, or likely will be, in touch with you regarding scheduling and pay status for the coming week. What is clear is that the COVID-19 pandemic is not going to be gone any time soon. We are developing plans that cover the entirety of April that I will share with you next week.

Our City Boards and Commissions will begin meeting again in the coming weeks. We are creating a policy for the teleconference and videoconference software needed to host these public meetings. For the foreseeable future, these meetings will not be happening in person, given Governor Lamont’s recent executive order limiting any gathering to five people or less. When those plans are finalized, our IT Department will send a memo to all employees who staff a Board or Commission.

Please continue to practice physical distancing in the workplace and at home. We must follow the guidelines established by our health professionals. If you are feeling sick, stay home and call your doctor. This is the guidance we’ve given to local businesses, and we are not operating any differently.

I know we are all following the news closely. What we know is as more people get tested, more positive cases will be detected in the community. Just this week, we went from 28 positive cases to more than 100. We’ve also had three residents die, including former City Clerk Mary Roman. This is a hard situation for the families in our community. Please show our residents the same patience and understanding that I hope they are showing you as we battle this public health crisis.

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to my office directly.

Thank you for all that you do.

Mayor Harry Rilling