Effective June 1, 2020 Creston’s Town Hall is physically open to the public.
“The month of June is traditionally our busiest time at Town Hall, primarily due to residents coming in to pay property taxes. We want to assure our citizens that their health and safety, as well as that of our Town staff, is our highest priority”, said Mayor Ron Toyota. “The COVID-19 pandemic has required us to make some changes to ensure that we can provide in-person assistance, while ensuring that all Provincial and Federal orders and recommendations are able to be followed”.
Council made the decision to reopen their doors on May 26. In order for the Town to mitigate potential hazards related to COVID-19 transmission and to maintain a safe workplace, policies and protocols are in accordance with the Provincial Medical Health Officer’s COVID-19 Workplace Safety Plan Order and WorkSafe BC requirements.
To accommodate enhanced cleaning measures and set up, The hours that Town Hall is physically open to the public will be 9:00 am – 12:00 pm, and 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday.
According to the Town, many safety protocols have already been implemented, including but not limited to:
- clearly marked entrance and exit locations
- allowing only one customer in the building at a time
- markers indicating proper spacing for physical distancing
- providing hand sanitizer for customer use, and the installation of Plexiglas at the customer service counters
The Towns says there may also be a Town staff member set up at street level on 10th Ave. N. to assist customers between those hours. Town of Creston Council and staff ask that you stay home if you are feeling any cold or flu like symptoms.
“We can certainly appreciate that there are a lot of questions around the payment methods for property taxes and especially around how to claim the Home Owner’s Grant. We encourage you to connect with us however you are the most comfortable”, said Steffan Klassen, Director of Finance and Corporate Services. “Above all, we want our citizens to know that we are here to help. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us by calling our office 250-428-2214 or sending an email to [email protected]. We also have a comprehensive listing of payment methods and instructions on how to view your tax account online on our website at www.creston.ca.”
Town Hall has been closed to the public, but accessible by phone call, since March 17 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.