Baltimore City Hall And Municipal Buildings Will Reopen April 4, Scott Says
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Baltimore City Hall and all municipal buildings will reopen to the public on a limited basis starting Monday, April 4, Mayor Brandon Scott said on Thursday.
City officials closed the building to the public in March 2020, at the outset of the pandemic in the US, and it has remained closed ever since. In the two years since, government business has been conducted on virtual platforms.
While the city lifted its indoor mask mandate earlier this month, the seat of local government will remain closed until April.
"Baltimore City has the lowest positivity rate and the lowest rate of community transmission in the entire State of Maryland; this is not an accident or a coincidence. We have achieved great successes in our fight against this pandemic because of the measures and mandates we put in place and our residents' commitment to overcoming COVID-19 in Baltimore City. I am proud of our progress, but we are not finished yet; we must remain vigilant as the world continues to battle this virus."
It will be the first time Scott, who was elected during the pandemic, will welcome visitors into the building as mayor.
The city will provide an update on which public-facing agencies will restore in-person services at this website.
The Department of Finance's Bureau of Revenue Collections is currently open to the public, and senior centers, recreation centers, and the Mayor's Office of Homeless Services' Weinberg Housing and Resource Center are open for in-person services.
Baltimoreans will again be able to attend hearings and meetings starting April 4 and provide testimony. Masks will be required at meetings inside City Hall and visitors to the building will have to undergo a health screening.
The city will use increased cleaning schedules in the Second Empire-style building to mitigate the spread of the virus.
Until hybrid technology is in place, the Board of Estimates will provide "a temporary solution" for remote testimony, they mayor's office said.
"While it is important that we restore in person access to government meetings and officials, it is just as important that we not deprive people of the virtual access that they have come to expect," said Comptroller Bill Henry. "I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank the staff members who have continued to come to work in City Hall and other city buildings throughout the pandemic, because so many City services could not be provided remotely. They have kept our vital processes running smoothly and I'm very grateful for their dedication to public service."
City Council and Board of Estimates meetings will continue to be broadcast live on CharmTV (charmtvbaltimore.com / TV25).
