A second local community is ready to start receiving visitors to its town hall again.
On Wednesday, the Town of LaSalle will reopen its Civic Centre to the public. There are a couple of wrinkles, though.
Visitors in LaSalle will be asked to call ahead and make an appointment for any official town business. Access to the building will be limited to the entrance off the main parking lot, and will be manned by a security guard.
People will be asked to sanitize their hands and answer COVID-19 screening questions before being allowed to enter. Anyone who exhibits symptoms will be asked to leave and continue correspondence with the town via phone, email, or through the customer service portal online.
LaSalle Mayor Marc Bondy said measures have been put in place to protect employees as well as visitors.
"The town provides essential services to our community, and customer service is important to us. We are putting a number of protocols and measures in place to keep our employees and visitors safe. Our residents and business owners have many options to contact us to conduct their business," said Bondy.
The building has been deep-cleaned and rigorous cleaning will be continued on a frequent basis. Clear shields have also been installed at the customer service counters, and visitors are asked to stay behind the shields and maintain at least a two-metre distance from other people.
The Civic Centre is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. However, the LaSalle branch of the Essex County Library remains closed, along with the building's atrium and the LaSalle Friendship Seniors' Centre.
Town council and other meetings will remain closed for the time being, and can be witnessed remotely.
LaSalle is the second Essex County community to reopen its town hall to the public this week. Essex reopened its hall on Monday. All other county municipalities are offering services online only.
In the city of Windsor, the building at 400 City Hall Square East is open due to provincial and federal offices on site, but all other city facilities are closed to the public.
Complete customer service options are available on LaSalle's official website.