Reopening City Hall for select services by appointment only beginning July 15

NIAGARA FALLS, ON - Commencing Wednesday, July 15th, the City of Niagara Falls will be offering access to select services by appointment only at City Hall, Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30am and 4:30pm. In anticipation of reopening, the municipality has been putting plans in place to welcome the public safely back into City facilities.

Many City services have continued to be available as part of the essential operations the City has offered since a State of Emergency was first declared. Expansion of these services will further support residents and businesses as the community moves through phases of reopening and recovery.

At City Hall, residents and businesses will have access to the following services in person, by appointment only, during normal business hours:

Building permit applications, inspections, and by-law complaints
Marriage licences
Business and lottery licences
Commissioning of documents and affidavits
Human Resources recruitment interviews
Zoning inquiries and zoning approvals for Municipal Business licences
Sign By-law Minor Variance applications
Policy Planning inquiries
Development applications
Consent and Minor Variance applications
Community Improvement Plans and incentives

Individuals who have made an appointment to access services in person will see enhanced health and safety precautions, including glass barriers at customer service counters, floor markings to support physical distancing requirements of 2 metres, hand hygiene stations, enhanced cleaning, and signage reminders to help with traffic flow and to control occupancy.

At City Hall’s main entrance doors, all customers will be greeted by security staff who will provide COVID screening assistance and direction. With the lobby’s current limited capacity, customers may be asked to line-up physically distanced outside of the entrance doors until they can be safely accommodated.

The city strongly recommends that the public wear masks in municipal buildings and on municipal property where physical distancing is not possible.

Many facilities that were closed in March due to COVID-19 have been offering virtual services, and will continue to do so, as technology becomes a bigger part of the new normal. We continue to encourage all residents to seek alternative methods to connect with City staff, such as online or by telephone. Many City services can also be paid for through our website and we encourage everyone to use alternatives to paying in person. Taxes can be paid through your bank, or by mail.

The City continues to follow the orders and advice of public health officials and reassess our services through each phase of the Province’s reopening framework to ensure we are meeting the expectations of our staff and citizens. With new safety protocols and procedures in place, Niagara Falls City Council and staff appreciate everyone's patience as we carefully reopen City Hall, and thank residents for their continued practice of physical distancing and following any restrictions put in place to keep City facilities, programs and services safe for everyone.

For a full list of current services available, visit niagarafalls.ca

For more information, contact:
Ken Todd
Chief Administrative Officer
City of Niagara Falls
ktodd@niagarafalls.ca