Gettysburg Borough Cancels All Public Meetings and Access to Borough Facilities Until April 27, 2020

All public meetings are cancelled until April 27, 2020

Public Access to Borough Facilities Prohibited until April 27, 2020

Click here to be directed to an informational video on the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Gettysburg Borough Implements Alternate Operations Plan in Response to COVID-19

Participating in the national effort to mitigate and contain the Coronavirus (COVID-19) worldwide pandemic, Gettysburg’s Senior Officials have developed a plan that protects the public, municipal employees, and provides for the continuity of government during this difficult time.

“This extraordinary worldwide event requires an extraordinary response to meet the challenges and threats posed by COVID-19“, said Borough Manager Charles Gable. Gable continued, “It is government’s primary duty to protect the health, safety, and welfare of its citizens. Albeit disruptive and inconvenient to our daily lives and routines, all these actions are an effort to meet that governmental obligation”.

The objective of this plan, developed by the Borough Emergency Management Coordinator (Dave Sanders), Borough Police Chief (Robert Glenny), Borough Solicitor (Harold A. Eastman, Jr.), Borough Manager (Charles R. Gable), Gettysburg Mayor (Theodore Streeter) and Borough Council President (Jacob Schindel), is to establish a contingency plan to maintain delivery of services during times of natural disaster and to maintain delivery of services during times of significant and/or sustained worker absenteeism. To meet these objectives, effective immediately, the Borough of Gettysburg has implemented the following:

Essential Business Functions

In the event of a pandemic, Borough staff must remain healthy in order to continue to provide public services. Should a pandemic preclude staff from keeping all services open, the Borough would prioritize efforts to meet the essential business functions of the government. In this regard wherever possible, staff have been cross-trained; so that when unplanned emergencies occur, staff can complete the jobs for their co-workers as needed.

Governmental Meetings and Public Access to Government Buildings Prohibited

In a maximum effort to ensure the health and safety of government service providers and the general public, the following actions are effective immediately:

1. Gettysburg Municipal Building will be closed to public access until April 27, 2020.
   
2. All meetings of the Borough Council have been cancelled through April 27, 2020.
   
   1. Borough Council has a previously advertised Work Session on April 27, 2020. This meeting will be re-advertised as a Council Business Meeting, to meet the statutory mandate that Council meet monthly in order to conduct Business.
      
      1. It is the intention to resume normal and previously advertised Council meetings after April 27, 2020.
         
3. All meetings of Borough Authorities, Boards, and Commissions (ABCs) are cancelled through April 27, 2020.
   
   1. Re-advertised meetings for all ABCs will be forthcoming.
      
      1. Should a member of the public have pending business before any ABC prior to April 27, 2020, please contact the appropriate staff member to facilitate a resolution to the matter they have before the Authority, Board or Commission.
         
      2. The Borough will make every effort to keep a project on schedule as planned.
         
4. The public is encouraged to and has the ability to conduct business with any staff member electronically. Every department head can be reached via phone. Phone extensions are listed under ‘Borough Management’ on the Borough’s website. Additionally, all Department Heads can be reached via email through the Borough’s website at www.GettysburgPA.gov. Documents can be electronically attached to this online, website email service.
   
   1. In the rare case where business cannot be conducted electronically, a one-on-one meeting with the appropriate staff member may be scheduled.
      
   2. The Borough’s main phone line is (717) 334-1160
      
      1. The attendant message will direct you to the appropriate staff member so that you can speak in person or leave a message.
         

Police Department

Police Officer’s jobs are most critical and require significant public contact to accomplish their mission. The Gettysburg Police Department is implementing the following precautionary procedures to minimize the possibility of disease transmission. These procedures remain in effect until rescinded:

1. Initial contact for ALL routine or non-emergency calls shall be made by way of phone rather than in person whenever possible and not contrary to the successful outcome of the incident.
   
   1. Police Non-Emergency Number                                 (717) 334-1168
      
   2. Police Non-Emergency Number (after hours)            (717) 334-8101
      
   3. Police FAX Number                                                   (717) 334-3554
      
   4. Emergency                                                                  911
      
2. When in-person contact is required, a recommended six (6) foot social/reactionary gap should be maintained.
   
3. When contacting a member of the public exhibiting respiratory symptoms (sneezing and coughing), thought should be given to the necessity of making contact versus risk of possible exposure.
   
4. Police department access to Public Buildings will be limited to essential personnel only.
   

Receive Urgent/Emergency Alerts from the Borough’s website. Sign up for ‘E-Alerts’ on the homepage at www.GettysburgPA.gov.