Last week, West Ada welcomed Meridian’s youngest learners back to the classroom full-time. This was an effort parents pushed for in their responses to the district’s surveys. As the parent of a fourth-grader myself, I am happy to have my son back to a more normal learning environment, and I am dedicated to keeping that environment safe and healthy for him, his peers, teachers and staff. As Governor Little pointed out in his press conference last week, in-person learning is important, not only for our kids, but our parents who are serving on the front lines of this battle against COVID-19 in our hospitals and clinics across the state. With COVID-19 cases on the rise, it’s more important than ever before that we focus our attention on keeping the community healthy.  

 I know we are all experiencing “COVID fatigue” and I have heard the expression “I’m just over it” on numerous occasions. Unfortunately, the pandemic isn’t over, and until we all ban together and do our part to combat the spread, the disruptions to our normal lives won’t be over either. Small efforts like wearing a mask, washing our hands, and keeping our distance from others can have a huge impact on the spread, our student’s education, our business’ operations, and our economy.  

Governor Little pleaded with Idahoans on Friday to take this virus seriously and rolled the state back to a modified stage 2 of the Idaho Rebounds Plan. With the data showing increased spread happening in small gatherings, part of that roll back includes a restriction in gathering sizes. Gatherings are now reduced to 10 people or less and precautions should still be followed within those small gatherings. The newest Order can be found on our website at meridiancity.org/coronavirus. This page is a great place to get the latest updates on COVID-19 and its impacts to us in Meridian.  

In an effort to do our part for the community, our employees, and our customers we have made adjustments to our operations at the City. Today, we transitioned to a “by appointment” operation, with City Hall and other administrative buildings otherwise closed to the general public until further notice. City business will continue uninterrupted and we ask that you only call to make an appointment if necessary. Like many others, we have made city services more accessible through technology over the last several months. We encourage you to do things electronically when possible, but we will continue to conduct business in-person as needed. To find how to complete a transaction with us online, or to schedule an appointment, visit meridiancity.org/directory. 

These efforts can help the health care network remain strong, and keep our kids education efforts moving forward.  I know COVID has been hard.  Please keep practicing the safety measures.  In case you missed it, here is a video that talks about why we continue to take steps to keep our community healthy and open for business.