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June 4, 2020 ASSOCIATED NEWSPAPERS OF MICHIGAN PAGE 5

WAYNE - WESTLAND
WAYNE - WESTLAND

Westland readies for return of city hall workers

Westland officials began a phased assist individuals who prefer to conduct
Return to Business Plan Monday which business in person. As required by the
reopened Westland City Hall and the state, employees will be required to wear
Jefferson Barns Community Vitality masks while working. Personal Protective
Center in limited capacities. The Equipment (PPE), including masks, gloves
Assessing, Building, City Clerk, Economic and hand sanitizer will be provided to
Development, Finance, Planning, Public employees and residents conducting busi-
Service and Water/Sewer Departments ness in city hall, if needed.
will all resume normal operations, offi- Westland will not be hosting events or
cials said. renting out city facilities and public meet-
In response to the pandemic and asso- ings will continue to take place virtually at
ciated closures, the city placed 2/3 of non- this time.
public safety employees on temporary fur- “Our team has been hard at work over
lough. With the implementation of phase the past few months, working to provide
1 of the return to business plan, employees the essential services that are needed to
will be brought back from furlough as keep Westland up and running while
demand increases. The city has also implementing safeguards and social dis-
installed glass barriers around employee tancing measures to ensure when our city
work stations and at the front counter to buildings reopen, we can do so safely,” are relaxed. Phase 2 will focus on the cre- “I want to thank the residents of
ensure staff can work and service resi- commented Mayor William R. Wild. ation of plans and policies that will allow Westland for their contribution to flatten-
dents safely. Westland will continue to follow the the city to conduct public meetings in per- ing the curve in Wayne County as well as
Residents are encouraged to conduct State of Michigan recommendations from son, officials said. Phase 3 will involve the the employees of the City of Westland for
city business on www.cityofwestland.com the MI Safe Start Plan and will move into opening of other city facilities, park maintaining their professionalism
and to utilize the drop boxes located out- the next phases of a return to business amenities and accepting room and pavil- throughout these challenging times,” Wild
side city hall, but staff will be available to plan as restrictions on public gatherings ion rentals. concluded.
State Wayne owners plan for ‘clean’ reopening

”
Owners of the State Wayne local and very social by nature seating layout will automatically
Theatre are hoping for a re-open- and uniquely disadvantaged in a In between each showing, be configured within our
ing July 1. pandemic crisis.” reserved seating computer soft-
A spokesman from Phoenix The movie industry is not only theater workers will use a ware, so that customers will not
Theatres, which has owned the closed at local theaters, but all food grade disinfectant spray on all seats. be within 6 feet of other guests
historic Michigan Avenue theater production has stopped on new not in their family group. Each
since 2000, said the past two feature films as well, he added. employee will wear masks and
decades have had difficult chal- The film studios have responded the return of Hollywood's sum- can establish a safe movie-going other protective equipment and
lenges typical of operating a by literally rescheduling all films mer blockbuster movies to the environment for both our ticketing and concessions trans-
small business, but “none of beginning later this summer and big screen.” employees and guests.” actions have been streamlined to
these problems have been as in some cases 2021. As the film “Prior to our re-opening, we Phoenix Theatres plans to minimize tough points.
serious as the current COVID-19 industry grapples with these will be traveling to our theatre incorporate both CDC and local “In between each showing,
pandemic.” unprecedented problems, locations in Iowa, Massachusetts, government standards on how a theater workers will use a food
“This challenge was complete- Phoenix Theatres decided to and Michigan with our small spe- theater should safely operate. grade disinfectant spray on all
ly unexpected, and affects literal- proactively shift their focus to cialized training group to individ- Working closely with the seats that removes 99.99 percent
ly everyone in the world,” offer solutions that could make a ually work with every employee National Association of Theatre of all viruses on surfaces within
explained Cory Jacobson, owner difference, he explained.. in the company,” said Sheena Owners and with the help of our 30 seconds.
of Phoenix Theatres. “We have “Our management group has Hohman, director of employee management and employees we “We will be using this disinfec-
faith in the human need to inter- spent the past few months work- training and development. “This have established new safety pro- tant spray on high touch points
act with one another and the art ing on developing a comprehen- will ensure a complete under- tocols for every aspect of the the- throughout the building includ-
we present at the movies. It is sive plan with CDC guidance to standing of the importance of fol- atre, Hohman said. ing the restrooms and concession
unique to our American experi- carefully re-open our theatres,” lowing our newly-established “We will have social distanc- areas,” she said. “In addition,
ence, as movies are one of our Jacobson said. “We are hopeful guidelines for operations. By pro- ing guidelines in all the common hand sanitizer stations will also
greatest cultural contributions to that all of our locations will be viding our employees with the areas and most importantly in be provided for customer use
the world. Our business is both able to open by July 1 to support tools and training necessary we the theatre auditoriums. The throughout the theater.”