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East Lansing 54B District Court set to reopen among other city facilities

June 8, 2020
<p>East Lansing City Hall on July 3, 2018.</p>

East Lansing City Hall on July 3, 2018.

Photo by Annie Barker | The State News

East Lansing 54B District Court and East Lansing City Hall are set to reopen to the public June 15, according to a statement from the City of East Lansing.

This marks some of the first steps of reopening the city following the local state of emergency that Mayor Ruth Beier declared on March 13 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed an executive order to rescind her "Safer at Home" order, though the statement says more time is needed to prepare these facilities. City and court staff are being reintegrated this week, along with some continued remote work.

When the building reopens, hours are as follows:

  • City Hall will be open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • 54B District Court will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a scheduled lunch break from noon to 1 p.m.

These services will remain closed on Fridays through July 24 in order to accommodate "reduced work hours for identified staff members who have been enrolled in the Unemployment Insurance Agency’s Work Share Program," the statement said.

In terms of court proceedings, Court Administrator Nicole Evans said hearings will continue to be held primarily through Zoom technology.

"We are addressing our backlog starting with the oldest cases, prioritized by case type," Evans said in an email. "The judges dockets are currently scheduled out to August. Walk-ins will be accommodated in compliance with the social distancing limitations for each area of the court."

Community members utilizing services within the building will be required to wear a mask, unless they're unable to due to a medical reason, according to the release. They may also be subjected to a minimal health screening unless the facility is otherwise advised by the State of Michigan or Ingham County Health Department.

Other safety measures described by the city include increased facility cleaning, employee health screenings and hand sanitizer stations. Additionally, all employees will wear masks.

Members of the community are encouraged to continue doing business through the city's online options whenever possible.

Other facility reopening updates include:

  • The East Lansing Hannah Community Center, East Lansing Prime Time and East Lansing Public Library, ELPL, are set to reopen on July 13, on a tentative basis. ELPL will offer curbside pickup June 15 and mailing materials June 22.
  • The East Lansing Department of Public Works, or DPW, and the DPW drop-off site will be closed until further notice.
  • Yard waste and bulk item collection will resume June 15. This requires advanced requests and city bags and stickers. Prior to City Hall's reopening, bags and stickers can be purchased at the East Lansing Farmers Market and requests can be made online.
  • East Lansing Farmers Market is set to remain open on Sundays from June 7 to Oct. 25 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

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