The original item was published from 3/26/2020 12:58:00 PM to 3/30/2020 4:51:22 PM.

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Posted on: March 13, 2020

[ARCHIVED] City of Rifle update regarding impacts to City activities, events, & services from COVID-19

The City of Rifle would like to keep our citizens up to date with local information to help keep you safe and provide you with details regarding City activities and events. The City is following all guidelines dictated by Garfield County and the Garfield County Health Department. The City of Rifle will continue to be available and working for you throughout the duration of this event. However, some activities, events, and services have been canceled or modified. Please see below.

Impacts to City of Rifle Activities & Services:

Core City Services - All core City services, including (but not limited to) Water, Wastewater, Police/Public Safety, Trash, Operations & Maintenance, and Public Works will continue to remain fully operational. The City and its staff are committed to serving you, our citizens, to the greatest extent possible. Staff is available to assist by phone or email. See www.rifleco.org/directory for a department phone list.
City Parks - City parks remaining open to uses, but all playgrounds will be closed and citizens are reminded to follow orders regarding social distancing.
City Buildings - All City of Rifle buildings are closed to the public until further notice. Although face to face interactions are not possible at this time, the staff is available to assist you by phone or email. Please contact the department that you are trying to reach directly. www.rifleco.org/directory
Ute Theater - All events at the Ute Theater have been temporarily suspended. Please check their website or Facebook for updates. utetheater.com or fb.com/NewUteEventsCenter/
City Recreation Activities - All-City organized recreation activities have been temporarily suspended.
- Ski Bus to Sunlight - The ski bus to Sunlight has been canceled for the remainder of the year.
- Spring Soccer - We are postponing the start of the spring soccer season. Soccer will not begin on March 30th as planned. Staff feels that we may still be able to have a viable modified soccer season if we can begin the week of April 20th, which is the day after the current order is set to expire. To not conflict with other sports seasons, we will not be able to extend the season beyond the planned May 22nd end date. If the current safety orders are extended beyond April 20th, then this spring’s soccer season will not happen. Please continue to monitor our Parks & Recreation web site and Facebook page, call us at 970-665-6570 or email questions or comments to us at recreation@rifleco.org.
Spring Cleanup Event - The Annual Rifle Spring Cleanup has also been postponed this year. No new date has been chosen at this time, but that information will be posted as soon as it’s available.
Municipal Court - Rifle Municipal Court has canceled court for the April 1st docket. The Court will be contacting you regarding your case.
Utilities & Court Payments Options - Payment drop boxes are available for both court payments and utilities. The boxes for utility payments or other finance department payments are located outside of City Hall near the alley to the north of the building. Payments may also be made online at www.rifleco.org/138/Utility-Billing. Although there is not an online option for payments to Rifle Municipal Court, payments can be made by credit card by calling the court at 970-665-6420. The court also has a dropbox located right next to the main entrance of the Justice Center, 201 East 18th Street.
Seniors Center & Meal Program - Due to the fact that seniors have been identified as a particularly vulnerable population, all senior activities and events have been canceled. The Garfield County Senior Meal Program is now offering meals at the following locations as a takeout option. Seniors can pick up their lunch at the meal site where their reservations were made. Reservations must be made for all pickup sites by noon the previous day by calling 970-665-6549. The senior meal program is for seniors 60 years and older.


Rifle	Tuesday, Thursday, Friday	12:00 - 12:30 pickup
New Castle	Monday	12:00 - 12:30 pickup
Silt	Wednesday	12:00 - 12:30 pickup
Parachute	Wednesday	12:00 - 12:30 pickup

Other Helpful Local Information:

Colorado Governor Jared Polis announced a statewide stay-at-home order beginning on Thursday, March 26 at 6:00 a.m. which will last until April 11, 2020.To read the complete order and the exemptions, please visit www.garfield-county.com/. Stay safe out there.
Due to the fact that COVID-19 poses a particular threat to individuals with a history of heart or respiratory illness, the Colorado Department of Public Health is urging citizens not to engage in open burning at this time.
The State has launched a new website found here, covid19.colorado.gov/.
The City of Rifle Information Technology Department would also like to pass on tips to keep in mind while using your computers during this unusual time. There are numerous scams relating to COVID-19 involving malware, hoaxes, and fraud which are designed to play upon your sense of urgency in obtaining answers. Follow the same computer safety procedures that you were practicing prior to this situation. Do not click on unknown or questionable sites. The official sites for Garfield County, the State of Colorado and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are safe, reliable sources of information. The City of Rifle website (rifleco.org) and social media pages will be continually updated with the latest links.
As you may be aware, Governor Jared Polis has ordered bars and restaurants closed. These businesses still have the option of doing delivery and takeout orders. This is a very difficult situation for small businesses and their employees. The City would like to encourage our citizens to support these businesses by utilizing these services when available. Let’s help our neighbors through this difficult time. You can always take your carryout order to the park and have a picnic!
The water and wastewater treatment plants are fully functioning and will remain fully operational even if some City offices need to be closed or staff size reduced. There is no need to stock up on bottled water. It is important to note, however, that we are starting to see flushable wipes at the wastewater plant. Even though they say flushable, they are not sewer-plant friendly. If this continues or increases, it may cause problems. Please dispose of all wipes in the trash, not the toilet.