St. John's Response to the Coronavirus
Republic Services has resumed regular garbage pick up to include bulk items beginning, April 27th.
Local Response Summary:
No Car Seat Inspections or Installations.
CPR Classes have been CANCELED.
Should anyone need some type of assistance particularly our elderly residents who are unable to get out during the Covid-19 Pandemic, please do not hesitate to contact the St. John Police Department's non-emergency line at (219) 660-0000 and we will do our very best to assist you in any way. Also, please be sure to check on your neighbors and as always dial 911 in any emergency.
May 1, 2020
Immediately following the governor's announcement today, a WebEx meeting was held with all department heads, the Town Manager, the Clerk Treasurer, Councilman Pondinas and myself (Gerald Swets) for the purpose of finalizing our policies for operations at Town Hall for the upcoming phase announced by the governor in his backontrack plan.
After reviewing the governor’s briefing, we have decided to follow his guidelines regarding beginning to open the Town. As the state opens in phases, so will the Town of St John. We will maintain our current situation for another week.
- Steps are being taken to keep public and town staff safe and healthy including continuing to require staff and public to practice social distancing and limiting public access to the minimum areas necessary to conduct business within Town Hall and other facilities. If you are ill or have symptoms of COVID-19, please do not visit Town Hall or other facilities. We do ask that you continue to conduct as much business as possible using email, telephony and drop box, to minimize face to face contact.
May 11, 2020 Phase
- Targeted partial re-opening of most town facilities to the public will begin on Monday, May 11 subject to Governor Holcomb not extending the Stay at Home Restrictions further for Lake County.
- Town Hall will be open to the public between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday after restrictions are lifted.
- Restrooms in Town Hall and other facilities will be closed to the public until further notice.
- The Historic Society room in Town Hall will be closed to the public until further notice.
- Use of Town Hall for non-governmental meetings and purposes such as HOA and club meetings will continue to be suspended until further notice.
- The issuance of garage sale permits will be suspended until Town Hall reopens to the public.
- Some of the Town meetings may be resumed after the 11th. The state has put restrictions on how many people allowed in the room at one time, but by allowing board members to join via a virtual webinar, we will be able to accommodate more residents. We would encourage you to continue email or drop off public comments and to view the live stream video of the meetings, but public access will be allowed.
May 24, 2020 Phase
- The Police Department offices and Animal Control Facility are scheduled to open. We ask that requests for reports continue to be made via phone until then.
- Fire Department offices will remain closed to the public until further notice.
- Park playground equipment and structures will remain off limits until at least May 24 per Governor’s order, and may reopen after that with proper social distancing.
- Park and recreation programs and registrations will remain suspended until at least May 24.
- The St. John Farmers Market will open Sunday May 3. Limits on numbers of patrons at one time, social distancing requirements and other health and safety restrictions will be in place and posted at the market and on the town website.
- While most town facilities will partially re-open to the public, we encourage you to utilize our online, telephonic, and drop box services to conduct town business when possible, especially those over age 65 or those who may be otherwise at high risk.
We will post a copy of these points on the corona virus link on the Town web page.
As we asked the department heads for their ideas, concerns and plans, it was obvious they are all anxious to serve the residents of our town, but also are still concerned for the health and safety of our employees and residents. To all the residents of St John, we are living in unusual times that can be challenging too many. We must all participate in looking out for the safety and well being of our neighbors, especially the elderly. We also encourage you to support our local businesses.
May God be with you and bless you.
Gerald Swets
Dear Town of St. John residents and business owners,
During the COVID-19 outbreak, the health and safety of all residents, business owners, and Town staff is our top priority. In an effort to do our part to help minimize the spread of the virus and adhere to Governor Eric Holcomb’s directives regarding social distancing and safety measures, the Town of St. John will be taking the following steps beginning Tuesday, March 17 and until further notice:
Town Hall and Public Access
Town Hall, Public Works, and Parks Department offices will not be open to the public. Limited town meetings may take place in the Town Hall Meeting Room as noticed. Please note that all other meetings that are not official Town business (i.e. Lion’s Club, Women’s Club and homeowner association meetings) are hereby cancelled until further notice.
Police Department
Due to the extension of Governor Holcomb's stay at home order, the St. John Police Department will be extending the temporary suspension of the following services until further notice:
- VIN Inspections
- Fingerprints for background checks
Clerk-Treasurer and Utility Billing
Residents and business owners are strongly encouraged to make payments online at https://www.stjohnin.com; via telephone at (219) 365-4800, option 4; or via either the drop box located behind the Town Hall.
Building and Planning Department Permits and Applications
All Building and Planning Department applications are available on the Town’s website at https://www.stjohnin.com/BP/. After you’ve been notified your permit is ready, it will be mailed to you.
Other Programs
All Park and Recreation programs and athletic activities are suspended until further notice.
The Town is also suspending the electronics recycling program until further notice.
The Town Animal Control facility will be closed to the public until further notice.
Meetings and Cancellations
The Town will post notice of all meeting cancellations on the Town Hall Meeting Room doors and on the Town website at https://www.stjohnin.com/News.php. We are seeking direction from the State Public Access Counselor for recommendations for meetings that are necessary for the Town. For meetings that still take place, we encourage you to view the meetings on our live stream at https://www.youtube.com/townofstjohnindiana. We will be taking steps to adhere to the Governor’s and CDC’s guidelines during all meetings. Public comments can be emailed to the Clerk-Treasurer’s office to be included in the record.
We encourage you to check on your neighbors that may be elderly, have compromised immune systems, or current illness to see if they need assistance with supplies or groceries.
Additional Links and Information
Sincerely,
Town Manager
