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Wallingford Mayor not yet reducing hours Town Hall remains open

In an effort to keep Town Hall employees safe, signs have been installed throughout the building urging the public to stay away if they’re sick.

WALLINGFORD, Conn. — While many communities have shut down or reduced the hours of their municipal offices, Wallingford’s Mayor has chosen not to follow suit.

Mayor William Dickinson says one of the reasons he’s keeping Town Hall on its normal schedule is because residents rely on people, who work inside the building.

"We try to have serious-minded people, who are there to do a job," said Dickinson. "If the government falls apart, where are we?"

Dickinson says none of the Town Hall employees are non-essential.  But, he emphasized their health is paramount.

"At the point, we might reach a stage where enough people are not here, for whatever reason, including illness, then we would cut back on services," he said.

In an effort to keep Town Hall employees safe, signs have been installed throughout the building urging the public to stay away if they’re sick. There are other measures aimed at Town Hall employees, who deal with the public, in person.

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"We’re talking about barriers, social distancing, windows that will be put up to protect town employees," said Stephen Civitelli, Wallingford's Health Director.

Some residents appreciate the fact that Town Hall is presently open during its normal hours.

"I actually find it relieving that I’m able to walk into my Town Hall and see familiar faces," said Lisa Perretta of Wallingford.

"I think it’s important to try to keep as much of a regular routine as possible," said resident Gerald Reid. "It helps to keep the anxiety down."

But, some residents, and even Town Hall employees, say it’s not the right decision.

"I feel bad for the people that are in there because some of them are probably really scared," said resident Linda Bohne.

As of Wednesday, Wallingford has not yet had a resident or employee test positive for COVID-19. But, officials they expect that will change shortly.

"We recognize, as the situation changes, we too will have to adapt to the situation," said the Health Director.

Another reason Town Hall is not operating on a reduced schedule is because they feel it would create a bottlenecking effect, with more people in the building at the same time.

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