Board of Aldermen 03-16-2020 Page 23
Alderman Clemons
| mean is the State going to waive people from having to register their new cars that is my question. If
we do not have an answer than my suggestion would be that we keep City Hall open so that people
can conduct this business. We can’t just shut down; we can’t just shut that down. How is somebody
going to drive their brand-new car?
Director Kleiner
So we have been watching what other towns and cities are doing. All of the town managers have
been sharing information via a closed group and every town and every city has this one issue that they
are trying to work through. And Director Kates, through Emergency Management, we are trying to get
an answer on that. But the majority of services can all be done on-line or by mail. There was some
question to the State as to whether people that have temporary plates, if they get pulled over is this
going to be an issue, we just haven’t gotten answers to that one question yet. We did receive answers
today from the Department of Revenue, for instance, on exemptions and credits and things of that sort.
The Department said your local Board of Assessors can waive if those documents are late. By Statute
they can. So we know information like that and we are learning more and more every day. And it may
be, if we have to look, | wouldn’t advise appointments when we are looking at not having the public
come into the building. That seems kind of counterproductive to me. But the other issue we have is
we have 590 people in the City who still get live paychecks. So we are having to figure out how we
are going to get these employees their paychecks. And right now the way we have it worked out, is
we will bring the School Department District Office the live checks for them and the other live checks
will be here and on Thursday an employee will be able to call in and we will bring them out their
paycheck from the payroll department. | mean there are things that you wouldn't think of normally that
we are having to think of different things and how we service people.
Although | will tell you Director Budreau sent out an e-mail to all of citywide employees, asking
employees, please sign up for Direct Deposit if at all possible. Also sign up to have your Direct
Deposit slips e-mailed to you, | mean these are things we’ve said before, but it is not until you get into
an emergency situation like this, that it circles back around and you really see the need. So | mean |
wouldn't advise, | mean | believe we will come up with a solution. Working with the State to that issue
but | don’t believe that it is one that should hold off this type of response which is going to ensure that
our residents and our employees and our community remains healthy.
Mayor Donchess
Remember that this is just Day 1, you know, so the Governor announced Sunday, made the School
announcement, that was yesterday and then only today announced the bar and restaurant. So they
are dealing with a lot of issues and there are 240 some Cities and Towns and all the Town Halls and
City Halls, certainly all the City Halls and | assume all the Towns have to deal with this same thing.
And since what we are doing is consistent with what the State, in terms of the direction they are
moving, they are going to have to provide some relief on this because in the end they’d be saying that
we have to keep 240 Cities and Towns open which is really inconsistent with their entire direction. So
in the end, they are going to have to come up with something or agree to delay as to when people
have to register their cars. It is just, again we are just in Day 1 and | believe there will be something
worked out over the course of the next week.
