CLOSURE OF CITY AND COUNTY OFFICES

PURPOSE:  The purpose of this policy is to advise employees on how they will be notified when City and County offices are closed due to inclement weather or other emergency conditions. 

POLICY:  In order to effectively serve the community during inclement weather and other emergencies, the City and County will make every effort to remain open during its regular business hours.  When the City and County is open during inclement weather or other emergency situations, employees are expected to report for duty as scheduled.  An employee who is scheduled but not able to report to work must follow the applicable City and County Leave Policy and request time off from his or her supervisor.

Employees are advised to take all necessary precautions and to avoid dangerous conditions to, from and around the worksite.

In the event of office closure, certain classifications of employees are required to report for duty in order to perform essential services (i.e. Police Department, Public Works).  Departments that provide these essential services will schedule employees accordingly.

The City and County Manager or designee is responsible for making all decisions related to closing administrative offices.  He or she may consult with public safety and/or public works personnel when evaluating if closure of facilities is appropriate due to hazardous conditions.

Some City and County facilities operate outside of administrative hours (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) such as the Community Center, the Paul Derda Recreation Center, the Mamie Doud Eisenhower Library and the Broomfield Auditorium.  The Department Head or Division Head responsible for these facilities shall assess conditions and has the authority to adjust the operational hours of these facilities to protect the health and safety of employees and participants.

PROCEDURE:  The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Manager will notify the Chief of Police or designee, about conditions that might call for closure or delayed opening of City and County offices.  The Chief of Police will contact the City and County Manager who will authorize closure or late opening of City and County offices, if appropriate.

Ideally, the decision will be made and communicated before early morning commuters have left home.  Sometimes, however, emerging weather conditions make early notification impossible, or require closure or cancellation of some activities during the day.

If the decision is to close, cancel some activities or to delay opening:

The Emergency Operations Center Manager will:

·         Send an email to Webupdate, or if after hours call the Director of Public Information and the Manager of Web-Based Communication, advising of the closure decision.

·         Call the IT Help Desk and ask for the Telecommunications Administrator.

·         Notify the appropriate media outlets.

Personnel assigned to Webupdate will:

·         Send an ALL email through the City and County’s email system.

·         Post closure/late opening information on the City and County website, BeInTheLoop, Facebook and Twitter.

The Director of Public Information will:

• Notify the appropriate media outlets.

The Telecommunications Administrator will:

·         Update the City and County’s telephone greeting to include information on office hours and where to find updates.

·         Update the voice mail box specific to closure /delayed opening information.

The EOC Manager is responsible for verifying that the tasks assigned to WebUpdate personnel, the Director of Public Information and the Telecommunications Administrator have been completed.

Closure or late opening of Recreation Services and Library/Cultural Affairs Facilities:

Some City and County facilities provide services outside of regular administrative hours.  If inclement weather or an emergency situation occurs during non administrative hours resulting in hazardous conditions, the Department Head or Division Head in charge of the facility has the authority to close or delay the opening of the facility.  He or she will:

·         Send an email to Webupdate, or if after hours call the Director of Public Information and the Manager of Web-Based Communication, advising of the closure decision.

·         Call the IT Help Desk and ask for the Telecommunications Administrator.

·         Notify the City and County Manager of the decision.

Personnel assigned to Webupdate will:

·         Send an ALL email through the City and County’s email system advising employees of the facility’s closure or delayed opening.

·         Post closure/late opening information on the City and County website, BeInTheLoop, Facebook and Twitter.

The Director of Public Information will:

• Notify the appropriate media outlets.

The Telecommunications Administrator will:

·         Update the facility’s telephone greeting to include information on office hours and where to find updates.

·         Update the voice mail box specific to closure /delayed opening information.

The appropriate Leave Policy provides information regarding how employees will complete their timesheets in the event of facility closure.

NOTICE TO EMPLOYEES:  Employees will find information relating to closure and or delayed opening of City and County using the following electronic tools:

• City and County website.
• Department-specific web pages (These pages will be updated for departments/divisions that operate beyond administrative office hours).
• Closure/Delayed Opening Hotline – 303.464.5135
• Be In the Loop