FARGO — All 958 full-time City of Fargo employees and 275 Moorhead city workers remain on duty to provide continuity of services.
There have been no layoffs or furloughs.
Gregg Schildberger, manager of communications, said 62%, or 595, of the Fargo workers are reporting for "essential city functions" with the other 38%, or 363, working remotely at home.
"Our department heads have been fully empowered and tasked with deciding which employees are reporting for duty in-person to fulfill critical work functions and which employees can work from home," Schildberger wrote in an email.
Many employees, he said, have taken on additional or different duties to respond to the COVID-19 health pandemic.
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"Department and division heads are in constant contact with their employees to discuss work plans, expectations and goals," he wrote.
Even the city inspections department is fully operating and inspections continue daily with social distancing in use.
Meanwhile, City Hall and the library remain closed to visitors. Residents can call city offices to take care of necessary business.
In Moorhead, City Hall in the Moorhead Center Mall is closed to visitors, but some of the 113 office-based staff are working yet in those offices.
Governmental Affairs Director Lisa Bode said each city department or building has at least one administrator and one customer service staff in the office during regular business hours.
Of the office staff, she said 76 employees have "tele-work agreements" although some are splitting their time between home and city offices with staggered schedules and lunch breaks.
Bode said the big issue is sanitation in the city facilities and social distancing.
In the public works department, she said there are two teams that are working 12-hour shifts. The crews are allowed only one person per vehicle or truck with vehicles sanitized before and after shifts.
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Curbside pickup of garbage and recycling totes by workers continues with mechanical pickup of containers. Bode said residents who may be working or stuck at home and doing some spring cleaning are urged to take any bulk items and excess garbage to the solid waste transfer station at 2727 U.S. Highway 10 which will reopen to the public this Thursday, April 2, and be operating from 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.
Bode said employees are following Gov. Tim Walz's executive order to continue services with city staff deemed essential.
She said the city is finding new ways to operate like the private sector with such things as web-based or virtual meetings between staff members.
City Manager Chris Volkers said many of the employees' duties haven't changed much at all.
"Priorities have shifted for some of our workforce. Some are directly involved in the city’s COVID-19 response. Others are actively working on COVID-19 recovery. We’re developing project priorities and everyone is dedicated to continuing essential services and moving our community beyond the immediate COVID-19 emergency," she said.
"We have to continue our team work," Bode added. "I really miss seeing my co-workers, though."
In West Fargo, the city announced Tuesday, March 31, an extension of its closure of all public buildings to visitors and a work-from-home directive for employees until April 17.
Essential services will continue, including emergency services, sanitation, streets, sewer and water maintenance and utility billing. City garbage crews aren't collecting loose items curbside, but those items must be tied and put in bags. Large items are collected on Fridays.
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