City resumes normal operating hours

Council extends state of emergency

Simpsonville, S.C. — The City of Simpsonville will resume normal operating hours on Monday. 

With the lifting of the ‘stay-at-home’ order by Gov. Henry McMaster, City Hall, the Activity & Senior Center and other buildings will now be open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. under national guidelines for preventing the spread of COVID-19 effective 8 a.m. on May 18.  

City Administrator Dianna Gracely said the City appreciates the sacrifices the community has made during the pandemic. 

“Closing City Hall and other buildings was a difficult decision but had to be made to protect public health, especially the health of our most vulnerable,” Gracely said. “The City is ready to get back to normal safely and continue to serve residents and visitors.” 

While the City is returning to regular operating hours, social distancing measures will remain in place in accordance with recommended guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help prevent the spread of the Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019. 

The public is directed to maintain 6 feet from staff and each other, use available hand sanitizing stations and wear face coverings when feasible. The public is also asked to conduct business by phone and online as much as possible to limit social contact.  

City Hall can be reached at 864-967-9526, and contact information for other City departments can be found on simpsonville.com.  

Playgrounds, restrooms and shelters will stay closed until further notice since they require repeated disinfecting and sanitizing due to how often they are used and how many people use them. City parks, including Alder, City, College Street and Heritage parks and the Dog Spot, were opened in April and remain open.

Although the Activity & Senior Center will be open for anyone who needs to conduct business with the Parks & Recreation Department or City, senior programming at the Center is still suspended given that senior citizens are the most vulnerable population to the virus. 

In order to keep serving seniors, Simpsonville Parks & Recreation and the nonprofit Senior Action have teamed up to provide free meals to senior citizens ages 60 and older. Seniors may sign up to receive free meals on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at the Senior Center. 

Seniors or their family members may call 864-967-9533 on Monday-Friday at 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. to sign up.

The return to normal operating hours follows the adoption by City Council on Tuesday of a second emergency ordinance that extends the state of emergency declared in March and allows Council to continue holding meetings electronically. 

Mayor Paul Shewmaker said Council adopted the ordinance to ensure proper precautions are taken during the pandemic. 

“It’s important to remember the virus has not been eradicated and isn’t going away any time soon,” Shewmaker said. “We believe City staff, residents and visitors will continue practicing social distancing measures to help save lives.” 

For more information, contact community relations specialist Justin Campbell at jcampbell@simpsonville.com.