LFP Mayor: City Hall will reopen July 6

LFP Mayor Jeff Johnson

From Lake Forest Park Mayor Jeff Johnson

I am very happy to announce that Lake Forest Park City Hall reopens to the public on Tuesday, July 6. City Hall hours are 9:00am to 5:00pm, Monday through Friday, except for legal holidays. 

Passport Services will also resume, by appointment (see hours below). Masks are required while visiting City Hall. In addition to masks, meetings with City staff, including Planning, Building, and Municipal Court will be by appointment only, and require answering a COVID-19 questionnaire.

When Passport Services resume during the week of July 6, it will be by appointment only. Passport Services hours are Monday, Thursday, and Friday, from 12:00 to 4:00pm, and Saturday, 10:00am to 3:30pm. 

Applicants will need to sign up online to schedule an appointment. Information about how to sign up will be available soon on the City’s Passport Services webpage. Since the REAL ID Act requirements have been postponed to May 2023, it is not necessary to rush to get a passport or passport card if you are flying domestically.

The City’s public meetings -- City Council and Council Committees (Budget and Finance, Committee of the Whole), Planning Commission, Tree Board, Parks and Recreation Advisory Board -- will remain virtual for now. Information about any changes to this will be widely distributed to the public when the time comes. 

Due to the small size of the Council Chambers, staff is working on the logistics of socially distanced seating for a seven-member City Council and nine-member Planning Commission, as well as a limited number of chairs for audience members. It is probable that a hybrid approach to public meetings will be the norm in the future, with limited in-person public attendance and wider public participation via Zoom.

While City Hall was closed, many COVID-19-related improvements were put in place to protect employees and visitors:

• Physical barriers are installed at workstations where there is interaction between employees and visitors
• Social distancing markers are placed throughout City Hall
• Hand sanitizer is placed throughout City Hall
• Disposable masks will be provided should a visitor forget theirs
• Increased cleaning of City facilities and high-touch areas is also implemented
• Improvements to the HVAC system were also made, including use of the highest-rated filters and increased cleaning

On behalf of myself and the City Hall staff, we look forward to seeing you when we reopen on July 6.