Editor:
Why has White Rock City Hall not come up with a ‘COVID-safe’ way to open their doors to the public, the taxpayers?
On our recent visit, during the posted hours of Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., to purchase two parking passes we found the main door locked and we spoke to a City employee through a speaker on the outside wall.
We told the employee we had left two detailed voicemail messages, two days earlier, in an effort to schedule an appointment, and we were still waiting for a return call. So, we decided to go to City Hall to purchase the passes.
We had everything we would need to confirm our identification and address – drivers’ licences, registrations of insurance and our licence-plate numbers.
The employee told us she didn’t have access to a computer and suggested we return home and try a third phone call or go online.
My concern is that many of our White Rock population are seniors and it’s not always easy to go online.
Some of these folks prefer to do City Hall business, face-to-face and this is not easy when the City Hall doors are locked.
Surely, if most customer-service businesses and agencies such as supermarkets, pharmacies and insurance offices can install Plexiglas between the clerk and the public, and they’re open to folks wearing masks, our City Hall should be able to do the same. Also, all of the other municipal halls in this area are open and staffed.
Are the doors going to be open when it comes time to collect our property taxes?
Not everyone in White Rock is willing and/or able to do e-transfers or online banking.
Diana McLaren, White Rock
