The Californer - San Francisco Announces Plan to Reopen City Hall to Public

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San Francisco, CA — Today, Mayor London N. Breed and City Administrator Carmen Chu announced the schedule for reopening City Hall to the public. City Hall was shut down in March 2020, along with the rest of the City, and has not been open for the general public for almost 15 months.

Starting Monday, June 7, City Hall will reopen for in-person services and general public access. This includes in-person services like applying for marriage licenses, obtaining birth and death certificates, recording documents, and registering businesses as well as payment of property and business taxes and fees. Counter services will be open for the Treasurer and Tax Collector's Office, the Assessor's Office, County Clerk, Office of Small Business, and other agencies. The County Clerk will begin to accept online appointments for in-person marriage ceremonies today and marriage ceremonies (no more than six guests) will resume after City Hall reopens. In the week prior, starting June 1, some City Hall services will be open for very limited in-person services by appointment only and not open to the general public. For more details on the reopening schedules and plans for each Department, visit sf.gov/location/city-hall.

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"Bringing the public back into City Hall is a significant step in our reopening process," said Mayor London Breed. "City Hall is the heart of our civic life, where people can come to take care of their basic needs or take part in the most important moment of their life. It's where we gather to mourn, to celebrate, and to share in the most important moments of our City. I'm so excited to see people back in this building, especially on that first day when we see weddings return. San Francisco is opening up again."

"With our early successes in vaccine distribution and managing COVID-19, we're now able to implement expanded in-person services across San Francisco," said City Administrator Carmen Chu. "We're excited to welcome back the weddings and people into City Hall, but more importantly, we are excited to ensure that those who haven't been able to connect with us online or by phone have another avenue to access critical services."

Visitors to City Hall are required to wear facial coverings and maintain 6 feet of distance from members of other households. There may also be additional instructions regarding maximum occupancy when receiving services at individual offices. Regular security screenings will take place upon entry at the Goodlett/Polk Street Steps and the Grove Street entrances. The Van Ness steps and McAllister Street entrances will remain closed.

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"This is an exciting day for our staff, and a hopeful milestone on the road to our City's recovery," said Treasurer José Cisneros. "Coming to work at City Hall in service to our taxpayers is always an honor, but it will be truly joyful to return to a building full of city workers, residents and tourists."

"Our office is delighted to be one of the first departments to safely reopen and welcome people back to City Hall. Throughout this pandemic, we quickly pivoted to working remotely, while making sure our resources were still accessible to the public," said Assessor Joaquín Torres. "Now, once again, whether you are looking to gain answers to your issues, obtain copies of marriage licenses, record vital documents, or to get access to records for research or review, our knowledgeable staff is here to serve you and answer any of your questions. Together, by reopening our doors for service, we are moving forward to provide access and stability for San Franciscans."

Throughout the pandemic, City agencies have continued to serve the public by responding to constituents' needs through phone, mail, and online services. San Franciscans can continue to access City services by calling 3-1-1 or visiting sf.gov.

Filed Under: Government, City

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