Cosmopolis is once again amending city staff work schedules to ensure essential employee safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the utility billing department is temporarily suspending the accrual of late fees.

Beginning Monday, and extending through the local emergency proclamation, the following changes in staffing will be made to abide by social-distancing recommendations, announced by Mayor Kyle Pauley Friday.

City Hall will close to the public without an appointment. The city administrator, finance director and deputy clerks will still be working their regular schedule from home. Phone calls to City Hall will be directed to employees.

Clerks will rotate who will report to City Hall for minimal hours daily to perform certain activities that cannot be done remotely. This includes residents who schedule appointments or with special needs.

Public Works

Public Works employees will be working on a rotating schedule and will be operating on-call when not on an essential duty. Due to the limited staffing and budget cuts, the compost program will be suspended starting Monday until measures can be taken to ensure safety for staff and residents, said Pauley.

Residents are encouraged to pay their utility bills online at cosmopoliswa.gov, use the drop box located at City Hall or call 360-532-9230 to make an appointment for permits or other activities allowed under the current “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order. All appointments will be held through the payment window of City Hall.

Utility billing

Effective April 20 and until the emergency order within the city is lifted, to provide economic relief for those impacted by COVID-19, Pauley announced the billing department shall temporarily suspend the accrual of late fees on past-due balances and shut-off notices for non-payment. Following the lift of the current emergency order, these practices will resume starting the next billing cycle.