I would like to encourage our citizens to continue to move together as we process what has become a new normal in our lives. Although we are not sure of what the end of the month will mean as far as the Mask Mandate is concerned, we do know that we must develop a sense of unity to reach city normalcy. There are still areas of the “unknown” that we must contend with, but we are still faced with dealing with business as usual in what may end up being a bit unusual.
We have made changes throughout the onset of COVID-19 in City Hall. We adopted the mask requirement, the temperature checks, the methods of cleaning and sanitizing, protecting our employees and citizens by establishing proper processes for entering and exiting and holding meetings. We have submitted plans with the Arkansas Department of Health for our venues and have done our best to take care of the business of the City while protecting the City. This has caused a lot of changes in the way we do things and there will be more changes to come before we get it right for the here and now. The one thing that is constant is change!
One of the changes that will remain in place moving forward is City Hall’s point of entry. Currently, we are asking all citizens to enter through the sallyport. Keeping that process in place will be helpful in guiding those individuals to the services they need at City Hall. We are giving much consideration to the process moving forward should the Mask Mandate be lifted by the governor at the end of the month. Unlocking the door at the sallyport would be beneficial to the citizens. They will not have to wait to have the door unlocked. Instead, they will be able to enter the building and be assisted by the employees somewhat like it was before. We appreciate the patience of everyone who has taken care of business over the last year with the changes we have put in place. It is our hope that things will be made even more efficient in the months to come.
Let me be clear that while changes will be made, we will continue to keep safety measures in place at City Hall. Even if the Mask Mandate should be lifted, we will do what is best for our employees as we serve the public. Practices of wearing a mask when you cannot social distance are still very relevant. Sanitizer will still be available for hand sanitizing. Meetings in the Council Chambers will still be socially distanced, and we will maintain distances in the individual offices. Until we can safely say we are COVID-19 Free, we must continue to protect our employees and citizens.
All of us are looking forward to the day when we can get back to the way things use to be. In the meantime, let us be grateful for the progress we have witnessed in a year. Let us continue to work together to make things as normal as possible until we can find our way clear. It has been said that we are not all in the same boat. While that is true, I pray we are all sailing on the same waters to a wonderful destination!
Veronica Smith-Creer is the Mayor of El Dorado. She can be reached at [email protected].