The city is reopening its doors to the public after more than two months of being closed.

While staff has been working from home during that time, city hall has been closed. But that changed on Tuesday, May 26, as city staff opened offices for in-person services from 8 a.m. to noon.

“Being a public agency, it’s important we work to increase accessibility while also implementing practices that keep our team and our community safe,” City Manager Justin Clifton said. “We continue to encourage people to conduct city business by phone or online whenever possible. This will enable us to continue to stagger shifts and telecommute while addressing any service demands that require person to person contact.”

Under Phase II of the state’s reopening, the reduced hours are meant to help promote limited public contact and accom­modate staggered shifts and remote work. Other strategies that promote continued physical distancing in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance will also be considered.

For the city, Phase II includes the following:

— Additional hand sanitizer will be provided for public use at all public reception areas, front counters, restrooms and meeting rooms. Frequent hand washing is still preferred if possible.

— Mask requirements may be modified based on CDC guidelines at the time.

— Employees phased back based on individual department needs, ability to effectively perform work remotely/work from home. Number of employees on site will be determined on a department by department basis based on the ability to maintain whatever physical distancing recommenda­tions are in place at that time. General rule of thumb for Phase II should be not more than 50% to 75% of regular staff persons in the office at once.

— Lobbies and recep­tion areas may incorpo­rate queuing mechanisms with tape, signage and/or other markings to separate customers.

— Limited travel and training may resume only if mandatory for job certifica­tions, etc., however, training via webinars or other means that do not require travel is preferred.

Phase III, the time of which will be determined by the state, would see the city return to pre-COVID business hours and opera­tions assuming all restric­tions are lifted. However, the city will evaluate possible work-from-home scenarios for staff and func­tions that lend themselves well to this structure as a new normal, the plan states. This may include allowing staff members to work from home one day a week. In addition, they will evaluate continuation of certain virtual or appointment-only services that may have worked well during the COVID situation.

“We looked at protocols that would be applicable organization-wide as well as unique needs for each service area,” Sedona Assistant City Manager and Community Development Director Karen Osburn said earlier this month. “The team also considered how CDC and other health and safety recommendations and guidelines would be applied to everything we do.

“We will ensure that customer service needs are addressed. Like many busi­nesses we are adapting to new ways of doing things to keep service provisions going, but we will do that in a way that prioritizes the protection of our employees and residents and other customers from the virus.”