Mayor Jeremy Stutsman signed Executive Order 2020-02 Tuesday, March 17, which lists restrictions for City buildings and facilities in an attempt to reduce the risk of exposure of COVID-19 to the public and employees.

According to the executive order, access to City of Goshen buildings and facilities is to be restricted through the end of April under the following terms:

• Public access to City Hall, 202 S. 5^th St., the City Annex Building, 204 E. Jefferson St., and the Parks & Recreation Department, 534 E Jackson St. is now restricted to the hours of 8 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday. During the hours that these buildings are open to the public, City staff will partition a small area for the public to enter. City staff will make contact with the public within the designated area to provide service. Outside of those times, members of the public may contact Departments within these buildings by phone or email.
• The Goshen Utility Business Office will close their walk-up counter beginning Thursday, March 19. Their phone lines will be answered from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to assist customers. Payments can be mailed, paid online at paygov.us or deposited at the drop box in the alley behind the Police Department—Cash payments will be accepted within the drop box at the customers’ discretion.
• Other buildings and facilities other than the mentioned above will have restricted public access as posted on the doors of the buildings.
• City staff will post on the entrances to public buildings a list of departments and phone numbers, as well as information about current access restrictions in place. The public may continue to access each City office by telephone and email during regular business hours.
• City employees will make efforts to limit person-to-person contact with members of the public. Any contact between employees and members of the public will be authorized by Department Heads.

• The City will make necessary arrangements and accommodations to allow public meetings to continue in the council chambers that are currently scheduled and that are necessary to conduct essential City business, and for the public to attend and participate in accordance to Indiana’s Open Door Law.
• The City of Goshen will continue to offer services to members of the public, though some services may be restricted or delayed.
• The administration will analyze the operation of the respective departments and implement policies, procedures, or protections intended to slow the spread of COVID-l9, yet that would allow the City to provide services to members of the public.

Members of the public who may not be sure who to direct questions to may call the switchboard at 533.8621.

The Goshen Parks & Recreation Department has made the following operational changes to their offices and facilities in an effort to protect the public and staff from the spread of COVID-19:

• The Parks & Recreation office at 524 E. Jackson St. will be open to the public from 8 a.m. to noon. The office will close to the public at noon but offices may still be reached via phone at 534.2901 or email at goshenparks@goshencity.com.
• The Rieth Interpretive Center will be closed to the public through the end of April.
• The Wayne Wogoman Welcome Center is closed to the public through the end of April.
• Sports fields and facilities are closed to the public through the end of April.
• The department will not be taking reservations for facilities rentals or classes or programs through the end of April.
• Parks spaces and trails remain open to the public, and restrooms will be accessible to the public beginning April 15.

Playgrounds are not closed to the public; however, the equipment is not being sanitized regularly. We ask that residents use the same social distancing practices when considering going out to use these public facilities.

If you have any questions, please contact the Parks & Recreation Department at 534.2901.

The following is a message from the Goshen Police Department:

In support of Governor Holcomb’s restrictions to reduce the spread of COVID-19, the Goshen City Police Department will be making minor changes to our response for non-emergency service calls.

Our goal is to reduce the risk of spreading this virus by limiting any non-essential contact with residents of our community, in turn providing a safer environment for the community and our department personnel. The COVID-19 virus is a threat to our community and it is essential for us to take every precaution necessary to keep our first responders safe as they continue to provide essential policing duties to our residents.

As a result, we will be implementing telephone-reporting procedures. Goshen police officers will continue to respond to emergencies, major incidents, crimes in progress, crimes against children, sex crimes, crashes, missing persons, domestic disturbances, as a few examples.

Calls for service that will be handled by telephone will include but are not limited to: property crimes with no suspect, harassment where the suspect is not present, or situations where a complainant prefers to make a report over the phone when an officer is not required to be present. E

ssentially, there will be no changes in the manner in which a resident contacts the police. The only difference is specific to non-emergency reporting, an officer may choose to contact a complainant by phone to eliminate needless exposures to both parties. As always, call 911 for all emergencies.

In taking reasonable steps to ensure public services are not interrupted, as well as protecting the health of City employees, effective March 19, 2020, the Goshen Utility Business Office, 203 S. 5th St., will be closing their walk-up counter to the public until further notice.

During this time, their phone lines will be answered from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to assist customers. All water & sewer payments will still be accepted and can be mailed, paid online at www.paygov.us, or deposited into the drop box located in the alley behind the Police Department—Cash payments will be accepted within the drop box at the customers’ discretion.
The public may continue to contact the utility business office by phone at 533.9399 or email watersewer@goshencity.com during normal business hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The office will continue to offer services to members of the public, though some services may be restricted or delayed.

Until further notice, all applications for Building permits must be made through the City of Goshen’s online portal. You can log into the website at https://cityportal.goshencity.com and register for a new account.

The online tool is user friendly and will walk you through the steps to apply for permits. You can make payments through the online account as well.

If you need assistance in setting up an account, or have other questions, please call the Goshen Building Department at 534-1811.

GOSHEN CITY COURT is postponing Traffic Court scheduled for Wednesday, March 18, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. to Wednesday, April 15, 2020 at 4:00 p.m.  If you do NOT want to dispute or contest your traffic ticket, you do not have to wait to take care of it.  Please call the Goshen City Court Clerk’s office at (574) 533-9365 for further information, or you may pay online by viewing your case online at mycase.in.gov. 

GOSHEN CITY COURT will be rescheduling “non-essential hearings” scheduled for Thursday, March 19, 2020.  Due to the time limitations, please contact Goshen City Court between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. prior to Thursday, to reschedule your hearing if it is scheduled for: REVIEW Hearing, COMPLIANCE Hearing, or PAY OR APPEAR Hearing on March 19, 2020.  You may also e-mail the Court prior to 9:00 a.m. on March 19, 2020 to reschedule your hearing at: citycourt@goshencity.com BE SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAMES, YOUR CELL PHONE NUMBER, AND MAILING ADDRESS in your e-mail.  The Court will not respond directly to your e-mail.  You should receive notice within a week from an automated e-mail, automated text, or by regular mail.

Please check back at goshencity.org or on our Facebook page for any further updates.

Water and sewer utilities are essential components in managing hygiene to combat a potential COVID-19 infection. Beginning the week of March 16, Goshen Utilities is suspending water and sewer shutoffs for account delinquency until the end of April 2020. During this grace period, late fees will be suspended.

For utility customers that are on or will be on the water and sewer shutoff list during the shutoff grace period, the Goshen Utilities business office encourages these customers to pay down as much of their utility bill as they can to avoid more significant repayment concerns when utility shutoffs return to normal.

NOTE: A previous version of this message announced a tornado siren test scheduled for Wednesday, March 18 from 10 to 10:30 a.m. That test has been canceled statewide.

Severe Weather Preparedness Week in Indiana this year is from March 15 to 21. Please keep this information in mind in case of an emergency.

During an actual emergency: Residents and businesses should immediately respond to the outdoor warning sirens by taking cover, along with their pets, in designated storm-resistant locations, and continue to monitor sources for emergency information.

Now is the time for residents without a tornado shelter of their own to determine where they will go in case of a tornado warning. Residents who have an appropriate shelter are encouraged to be open to neighbors without shelter by allowing them to share theirs, if approached.

The City of Goshen tests outdoor warning sirens every Thursday at 2 p.m. to make sure they are functioning and make repairs if needed, so we are ready during an emergency.

The National Weather Service (NWS) coordinates Severe Weather Preparedness Week to educate the public about the hazards of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes, and to help everyone be prepared when severe weather occurs. Every day of the week will focus on a different topic. For a full list of recommended activities for the public, go to https://www.weather.gov/ind/SevereWxWeek.

Know the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning:

• A watch signals that a tornado is possible in the area. During a watch, you should discuss emergency plans and check supplies and your safe room.
• A warning means you need to take action. A tornado has been sighted or indicated by the weather radar. Move to your safe room.

In the occurrence of severe weather, this is what everyone’s role is in the watch/warning process:

• The NWS issues official warnings when dangerous, damaging weather is imminent and activated National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration All-Hazards radio and the Emergency Alert System, sounding alarms on radios, media stations and pre-set electronic devices. The NWS also receives damage reports from spotters and relays reports to the media.
• Local officials activate outdoor warning sirens and deploy responders to damage areas.
• The Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS) activates the Emergency Operations Center and coordinates with local officials. The IDHS also deploys personnel or resources to damage areas upon local requests.
• The American Red Cross may deploy to the IDHS Emergency Operations Center and may deploy staff to damage areas.
• The media broadcasts NWS warnings through crawl TV messages, texts and social media. TV meteorologists enhance details on locations threatened. Journalists report live from damage areas or broadcast calls from spotters.

Other participating agencies on Severe Weather Preparedness Week will be the National Weather Service, in conjunction with the Indiana State Police, the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, the Indiana Department of Education, the Indiana Broadcasters Association, the American Red Cross, and Amateur Radio Operators.

For more information about Severe Weather Preparedness Week, go to https://www.weather.gov/ind/SevereWxWeek.

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Mayor Jeremy Stutsman announced Friday a series of measures the City of Goshen will be adopting in the coming weeks with the intent of slowing a possible outbreak of COVID-19 in the city.

Additional recommendations to the community are made in ongoing consultation with the Goshen Health, the Elkhart County Health Department, the Elkhart County Emergency Management Agency, Goshen Community Schools, Goshen College and the Goshen Chamber of Commerce.

City staff has been monitoring the situation and is aware of cases of COVID-19 being found in St. Joseph and Noble counties, both of which border with Elkhart County. Local health officials say they expect to confirm cases in Elkhart County soon.

In order to slow the potential spread of the virus, the City will:

• Cancel all municipal events that have more than 50 people
• Establish sanitizing procedures following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations for all City buildings and facilities
• Cancel all City meetings except for Board of Works, City Council, Parks & Recreation Board, Plan commission, Board of Zoning Appeals and Redevelopment Commission and others that are essential to comply with State statutes
• Suspend all work-related non-essential travel by City employees outside of the county
• Cancel all Parks & Recreation Department classes, programs and events
• Require staff to conduct business meetings remotely with individuals and organizations outside our county (excluding other government agencies)
• Work on opening livestreams to public meetings within the next few weeks
• Cancel the annual employee (and board and commission members) appreciation event

These measures will be implemented immediately and continue through the end of April, at which time they will be reviewed and updated as needed.

“Our focus needs to be on taking preemptive steps to reduce exposure and further spread,” Mayor Stutsman said. “We know there will be economic consequences to canceling and postponing events, but this is a time when the health and safety of our community must come first. It is also important that we separate preparedness and caution from panic.”

Social distancing practices call for events in which large groups of people gather in small, enclosed spaces, to be canceled. Both the CDC and the Indiana State Department of Health are asking individuals and organizations to practice social distancing at this time.

“The most important time to start preventative measures is before a significant number of cases are registered in our community,” Dr. Dan Nafziger, Chief Medical Officer at Goshen Hospital, said. “Historic data on previous pandemics and epidemics show that preventative measures slow the virus’s spread, reducing the strain on our hospitals and medical teams.”

Though the City does not have the authority to ban events, Mayor Stutsman strongly recommends all nonessential gatherings be limited to 50 people. On Thursday, Gov. Eric Holcomb issued a series of directives, including that of limiting gatherings to no more than 250 people.

Mayor Stutsman recommended also that meeting organizers consider employing remote technology to conduct business. If gatherings are held, meeting organizers should implement preventative measures as recommended by the CDC. “We understand news of the outbreak and subsequent cancellations have already produced changes in daily life, but public participation and cooperation will be important in attempts to slow the spread in our community,” Mayor Stutsman said.

In addition to practicing social distancing, the City asks the community to continue staying informed on the latest pandemic instructions and information from reputable social media and news sources. The City will continue updating its webpage, goshenindiana.org/covid-19-information, with local, state and national resources.

“If you think you have contracted COVID-19, please contact the Elkhart County Health Department and your primary physician before you plan on going to a hospital or clinic,” Mayor Stutsman said. “This will allow the facilities to prepare the testing and for your arrival.”