EAST LANSING, Mich. — In light of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s new “Stay Home, Stay Safe” Executive Order, East Lansing Mayor Ruth Beier has extended her local state of emergency declaration through Monday, April 13 at 11:59 p.m. and adjustments have been made to the City of East Lansing’s facility closures, event/program cancellations and services.
City of East Lansing offices and facilities will now be closed to the public through Monday, April 13, with a tentative re-opening date of Tuesday, April 14. Facilities closed to the public include East Lansing City Hall, the East Lansing Hannah Community Center, the East Lansing Department of Public Works (including the recycling drop-off site), the East Lansing Prime Time Seniors’ Program, the East Lansing Public Library and the East Lansing 54B District Court. Additionally, all City events and programs will be canceled through Monday, April 13.
Essential services for the community will continue to be maintained under this new executive order, including police, fire, EMS, trash and recycling collection, water services and wastewater management. The East Lansing Police Department’s (ELPD) 24/7 police desk will also remain open to the public and staffed. Additionally, water service shutoffs will continue to be suspended during this time.
“Ensuring that our residents receive the essential services that they need will continue to be our top priority,” said East Lansing City Manager George Lahanas. “We encourage community members to continue to try and stay calm, prepared and informed as we continue to navigate through this unprecedented time together.”
Community members are also reminded that bulk item collection has been temporarily suspended, and the decision was made today to delay yard waste collection until further notice in order to limit the number of essential public works employees working and reduce exposure to those employees. Additional information on yard waste collection will be provided at a later date. Residents should also note that Simple Recycling announced today the temporary suspension of services in Michigan. This does not impact residents’ regular curbside trash/recycling collection services.
As a part of the governor’s new executive order, Building Division staff will only be processing residential permits related to emergency work, such as emergency plumbing or electrical repairs necessary for building safety, with limited staffing and a goal of limiting entry into structures for inspections. For additional information, visit https://www.cityofeastlansing.com/648/Building-Information.
Additionally, City officials have decided to temporarily close the following until further notice: playground equipment, outdoor tennis and basketball courts, park shelters/pavilions and park restrooms in East Lansing’s parks. The Northern Tail Dog Park will also remain closed until further notice. All other parks and trails will remain open to the public, and community members are encouraged to use them while still practicing proper social distancing (remaining six feet away from others) and following the hygiene guidelines provided by public health officials.
Additional changes to City services will be necessary as a result of this executive order and will be published via the City’s Continuity of Operations Plan over the coming days: https://www.cityofeastlansing.com/2084/COVID-19-Continuity-of-Operations-Plan.
It should also be noted that ELPD officers will be monitoring the community and actively encouraging voluntary compliance with this new executive order.
This is a rapidly changing situation. For additional information and the latest updates, community members are encouraged to visit https://www.michigan.gov/whitmer/, https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus, http://hd.ingham.org/DepartmentalDirectory/CommunicableDisease/Coronavirus(COVID19).aspx and https://www.cdc.gov/Coronavirus/.
Community members with questions about COVID-19 can call the statewide hotline at 1-888-535-6136 or the Ingham County Health Department’s COVID-19 line at (517) 887-4517. Community members can call 211 for statewide volunteer opportunities and resources. In an emergency, call 911. For local updates from the City of East Lansing, visit https://www.cityofeastlansing.com/coronavirus.