The Mayor and Service Director would like you to be aware of a new scam that targets City of Hubbard Utility customers.

The Hubbard City Utility Billing Office received a call from a resident stating she received a text message advising her water bill is due with the instructions to click the link in the message to pay her bill.  The City of Hubbard Utility Billing Office will not contact you via text message for current or past due monies owed.  Also, on-line / website payment is not an option for bill payments.  If you receive a similar phone call or text message, please call the utility billing office (330-534-3054) and they will be able to look-up and verify your account status.

Do not fall victim of this scam or give out any of your personal information.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT:
Service Director Dan Livingston has announced that the last dates for the preventative mosquito spraying of the year.  The spraying is scheduled for Tuesday, July 7, 2020 and August 4, 2020 beginning at dusk (weather permitting).   If it rains that day it will be rescheduled for the next clear day. This spray is non-toxic and safe for vegetation / animals.

UPDATED – JULY 9, 2020

The City of Hubbard Administration building will be reopening with limited public access Monday, June 1, 2020.  Our temporary/amended hours will be Monday-Friday 8:00a.m. – 1:00p.m.  This will allow for a thorough and proper cleaning/sanitizing to take place for the next business day.

Hubbard City Tax Office (330.534.6299), and Planning and Zoning Office (330.534.1271) will be by appointment only.

City employees will be required to wear a mask/face covering and anyone that enters the building are also required to wear a mask/face covering as well.

Please remember the following guidelines:

1. All city employees MUST wear a mask/face covering.
2. The public MUST wear a mask/face covering.
3. Maintain a physical distance of at least 6-feet.
4. If you are sick or symptomatic – please stay home.
5. There will be no loitering or congregating in the halls/lobby.
6. Wash your hands frequently and please use hand sanitizer.

If you have any questions or concerns please call the mayor’s office (330.534.3090).

We appreciate your cooperation and understanding as we all do our part.  We are in this together!!

Service Director Dan Livingston and City Council Representative Jerry Crowe have announced that the city’s annual branch/brush pickup will begin on Monday, June 8, 2020, and run for one week only.  They ask that all residents have their branches and brush to the curb before June 8th as there will only be one run through the entire city.  Please note that the branches must be no more than three (3) inches in diameter and no longer than four (4) feet in length.  Crews will only spend a maximum of 10 minutes at any residence.  Please contact the Service Director at 330-534-7755 with questions.

Governor Mike Dewine extended the Stay and Home order until the end of May and renamed the order to “Responsible Restart Ohio.”

With that being said, we are working diligently to secure a safe work environment for our employees and our residents prior to reopening the city building to the public.  I want to thank everyone for your patience and understanding during this unprecedented time.

The information below is a break down on mandatory and recommended measures from the health department and are designed to protect employees, guests, and customers.

MANUFACTURING, DISTRIBUTION, AND CONSTRUCTION

Employees, Distributors, & Guests

Mandatory

• Ensure minimum 6 ft between people, if not possible, install barriers
• Businesses must require all employees to wear facial coverings, except for one of the following reasons:
• Facial coverings in the work setting are prohibited by law or regulation
• Facial coverings are in violation of documented industry standards
• Facial coverings are not advisable for health reasons
• Facial coverings are in violation of the business’s documented safety policies
• Facial coverings are not required when the employee works alone in an assigned work area
• There is a functional (practical) reason for an employee not to wear a facial covering in the workplace. (Businesses must provide written justification, upon request, explaining why an employee is not required to wear a facial covering in the workplace. At a minimum, facial coverings (masks) should be cloth/fabric and cover an individual’s nose, mouth, and chin.)
• Employees must perform daily symptom assessment
• Require employees to stay home if symptomatic
• Require regular handwashing
• Stagger or limit arrivals of employees and guests
• Have employees work from home whenever possible

Recommended Best Practices

• Consider having distributors and guests wear face coverings at all times
• Provide stipend to employees for transportation

Shift Pattern

Mandatory

• Daily disinfection of desks and workstations
• Change shift patterns (e.g. fewer shifts)
• Stagger lunch and break times

Recommended Best Practices

• Split into sub-teams, limit contact across sub-teams
• Reduce pace to allow fewer full-time employees per line

Physical Spaces /Workstations

Mandatory

• Ensure minimum 6 ft between people, if not possible, install barriers
• Daily deep disinfection of high-contact surfaces
• Space factory floor to allow for distancing
• Regulate max number of people in cafeterias/common spaces
• Establish maximum capacity

Recommended Best Practices

• Close cafeteria and gathering spaces if possible, or conduct regular cleanings
• Daily deep disinfection of the entire facility

Confirmed Cases

Mandatory

• Immediately isolate and seek medical care for any individual who develops symptoms while at work
• Contact the local health district about suspected cases or exposures
• Shutdown shop/floor for deep sanitation if possible

Recommended Best Practices

• Work with the local health department to identify potentially infected or exposed individuals to help facilitate effective contact tracing/notifications
• Once testing is readily available, test all suspected infections or exposures
• Following testing, contact the local health department to initiate appropriate care and tracing

GENERAL OFFICE ENVIRONMENTS

Employees & Guests

Mandatory

• Ensure a minimum of 6 feet between people, if not possible, install barriers
• Personnel should work from home when possible and feasible with business operations
• Limit travel as much as possible
• Stagger arrival of all employees and guests
• Businesses must require all employees to wear facial coverings, except for one of the following reasons:
• Facial coverings in the work setting are prohibited by law or regulation
• Facial coverings are in violation of documented industry standards
• Facial coverings are not advisable for health reasons
• Facial coverings are in violation of the business’s documented safety policies
• Facial coverings are not required when the employee works alone in an assigned work area
• There is a functional (practical) reason for an employee not to wear a facial covering in the workplace. (Businesses must provide written justification, upon request, explaining why an employee is not required to wear a facial covering in the workplace. At a minimum, facial coverings (masks) should be cloth/fabric and cover an individual’s nose, mouth, and chin.)
• Employees must perform daily symptom assessment*
• Require employees to stay home if symptomatic
• Require regular handwashing by employees
• Place hand sanitizers in high-contact locations

Recommended Best Practices

• Ensure seating distance of a minimum of 6 feet or more
• Consider having customers wear face coverings at all times
• Enable natural workplace ventilation
• Health questionnaire for symptoms at entry
• Temperature taking protocol

Physical Spaces / Workstations

Mandatory

• Frequent disinfection of desks, workstations, and high-contact surfaces
• Daily disinfection of common areas
• Cancel/postpone in-person events when social distancing guidelines cannot be met
• No buffet in the cafeteria
• Utilize disposable tableware and other materials
• Establish maximum capacity
• Reduce the sharing of work materials
• Post signage on health safety guidelines in common areas

Recommended Best Practices

• Redesign/space workstations for 6 feet or more of distance
• Close cafeteria and gathering spaces if possible, or conduct regular cleanings
• Limit congregation in office spaces
• Divide essential staff into groups and establishing a rotating shift
• Availability of at least 3 weeks of cleaning supplies

Confirmed Cases

Mandatory

• Immediately isolate and seek medical care for any individual who develops symptoms while at work
• Contact the local health district about suspected cases or exposures
• Shutdown shop/floor for deep sanitation if possible

Recommended Best Practices

• Work with the local health department to identify potentially infected or exposed individuals to help facilitate effective contact tracing/notifications
• Once testing is readily available, test all suspected infections or exposures
• Following testing, contact the local health department to initiate appropriate care and tracing

The stay at home order is still in place.  If you don’t need to go somewhere, don’t go.  All vulnerable individuals should continue to shelter in place.  Employees who can telework should continue to whenever possible / feasible.  Schools and organized youth activities remain closed.  Large gatherings or socializing in groups of more than 10 is still prohibited.   This reopening plan is intended to protect the lives and livelihoods of Ohioans.

In accordance with the Governor’s office and the Director of Health, the State of Ohio will reopen under the guidelines set forth April 27, 2020.

Effective May 4, 2020 general offices, manufacturing, distribution and construction companies will be allowed to reopen.  All companies must follow the following guidelines:

Ohio’s Safe Business Practices for Getting Back to Work:

1. No mask, no work, no service, no exception. Face coverings are REQUIRED for employees and clients/customers at all times.
2. Conduct daily health assessments by employers and employees (self-evaluation) to determine if “fit for duty.”
3. Maintain good hygiene at all times – hand washing, sanitizing and social distancing.
4. Clean and sanitize workplaces throughout workday and at the close of business or between shifts.
5. Limit capacity to meet social distancing Establish maximum capacity at 50% of fire code and, use appointment setting where possible to limit congestion.

Effective May 12, 2020 – under the new order, consumer, retail and service businesses will be allowed to reopen.  Face masks / face coverings are not mandatory for customers or guests but they are strongly recommended.  Businesses can still require customers to wear a mask.  All employees will be required to wear a face mask or covering.

Rules for Consumer, Retail and Service Businesses

Under the reopening, the following guidelines have been listed as mandatory for customers and guests of retail and service businesses:

• Ensure minimum 6 ft between people
• Specify hours for at-risk populations (e.g. elderly)
• Place hand sanitizers in high-contact locations
• Ask customers and guests not to enter if symptomatic
• Stagger entry of customers and guests

• The following guidelines have been listed as “best practices” recommended for customers and guests of retail and service businesses:

• Health questionnaire for symptoms at entry point
• Provide face coverings upon entry
• Where possible, accept customers by appointment only
• Increase availability for curb-side pickup
• Consider suspending return policies

For more specific information, please visit coronavirus.ohio.gov.

Republic Services has notified Hubbard City Administration and customers that Monday, April 27, 2020 they are reinstating normal collection of bulk and yard waste services.

Bulk items are limited to one (1) bulk item per week and be loaded by one (1) person.  If the item is too large for one (1) person to load, you will need to call Republic Services (330-729-5513) to make arrangements.

Please keep in mind though, residents must continue to properly contain their waste/recycling and our drivers are empowered to leave materials they believe are unsafe to handle.  All cardboard must be broken down in placed inside proper receptacles. The receptacle lids must be completely closed.

If you have any specific questions or concerns, please call Republic Services at 330-729-5513 to speak with our City of Hubbard Customer Service Representative Mona Rance; or visit www.republicservices.com.

I would like to thank you for all your efforts and steps that you all are taking in flattening the curve of this pandemic.  The Governor’s Office along with Ohio Department of Health Director has amended the stay home order.  The new, updated stay at home order is in effect until May 1, 2020.  The order still urges all Ohioans to stay at home unless they are engaging in an essential activity or work.  They are now stressing that private gatherings and events be limited unless they are essential.

This new measures requires stores to limit the number of customers inside at one time.  I would like to encourage all Ohioans to utilize curbside service and delivery where available.

Campgrounds, public pools and those at private clubs and housing complexes will also be closed.  Playgrounds, basketball and tennis courts are all still closed.

These are measures that the Ohio Department of Health Director says will flatten the curve of the coronavirus.

Also new from the weekend is the recommendation to wear a mask or face covering when outside. The masks are recommended, NOT required.

Recent case numbers from the Trumbull County Combined Health District reported six new cases with a total of 92 cases in Trumbull County – Hubbard City is in Trumbull County. There have been a total of 7 deaths in the county.

I am urging all citizens to follow the instructions of the stay at home order diligently.  The only way this pandemic will continue to get better is if we follow what our health professionals are telling us to do.

Please visit coronavirus.ohio.gov for the directors updated stay at home order and for additional information.

I would also like to remind our community that Ohio House Bill 197 has allowed cities to extend the income tax filing date to July 15, 2020, matching the state and federal deadline.

Stay Healthy and Thank You,

Mayor Benjamin A. Kyle