City hall will be closed Thursday and Friday

Officials said they were closing city offices in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19.

The Hopkinsville Municipal Center will be closed to the public on Thursday and Friday in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19, city officials said. 

Fewer employees will work from city hall, but they will still conduct business by telephone and email, according to a press release.

The tax office drive-thru window will remain open for business to receive open records requests, deliveries, inquiries and job applications. 

Some appointments will be scheduled, as needed, with strict COVID-19 protocols, the release states. 

The closure will not affect police, fire, ambulance or dispatch operations. 

“City officials will continue to monitor developments to assess and re-evaluate restrictions going forward,” the release states. “In the meantime, the public is strongly encouraged to diligently take all practical measures to protect their personal health and the health of their family members.”

Because of the closure, Hopkinsville City Council’s Committee of the Whole meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday will be conducted virtually. The public can watch the meeting on the city’s website or on the Facebook page.

Two other agencies housed in city hall — Community and Development Services and the Hopkinsville Human Rights Commission — will also limit in-person business. 

The public can contact the HRC office by calling 270-887-4010 or by visiting the website to set up a virtual appointment. The number for CDS is 270-887-4285. 

Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. She spent 30 years as a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition.