LINK TO THE NORRISTOWN CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE HUB
As of April 28, the Pennsylvania Department of Health (per PA-NEDSS) reports 4,043 Coronavirus cases in Montgomery County, including 249 deaths from the virus, with 220 cases and 10 deaths in Norristown. Please refer to the CDC’s website for daily updates about the virus as it pertains to symptoms, treatment and travel information. All of this can be found on their website atc0dc.gov/coronavirus/20… En español aquí: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index-sp.html
For information at the state/local level, the PA Department of Health can be accessed here: https://www.health.pa.gov/Pages/default.aspx
It is important to take proactive steps to protect yourself by simple means like washing your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds, covering your cough/sneeze, disinfecting commonly touched surfaces, and staying home if you are not feeling well.
Testing:
The county will now have its own testing site for NORRISTOWN RESIDENTS ONLY! in town starting April 22. Register by calling 610-592-0680.
The Montgomery County testing site has moved from Temple University’s Ambler Campus to Montgomery County Community College. Full details of the testing site and a link to register for testing will be found here: www.montcopa.org/COVID-19.
Resources:
Do you work in a life-sustaining business? Check out this list (updated March 31) from Gov. Tom Wolf’s office detailing over 100 hundred types of businesses and jobs that have been deemed life sustaining. You can file a waiver with the state to keep your business’s physical location open here: https://expressforms.pa.gov/apps/pa/DCED/Waiver-process-keeping-physical-locations-open.
What about unemployment? Please see the state’s Unemployment Compensation website about filing a claim and if you qualify to do so: https://www.uc.pa.gov/COVID-19/Pages/UC-COVID19-FAQs.aspx?fbclid=IwAR3WYHIu7Ueez4CMVywhCGFN7zZzg_R8NfRpd-51s9UgYiK8YHdOQo6VJNU
What about evictions and forclosures? Through April 30, the PA Supreme Court has ordered a hold on any foreclosures or evictions. Legal Aid of Southeastern PA has provided a list of resources and information about staying in your home during this pandemic.
¿Puedo ser desalojado? ¿Puede un juicio hipotecario ser presentado en contra de mi casa? Leer aquí
Montgomery County has established communication tools to answer your questions about COVID-19. You can call 610-631-3000 (from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) or email COVID19@montcopa.org. Go to http://www.montcopa.org/COVID-19 for local information and to see what communities are affected.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health is tracking the outbreak throughout the state and can be viewed here. The department can be reached at 1-800-724-3258.
COMMUNITY UPDATES!
A disaster declaration for the Municipality of Norristown was issued on March 16 and will be in effect until April 16. This is a proactive action being taken so the municipality can get access to the resources and tools it needs to keep residents safe.
MUNICIPAL HALL:
Municipal Hall will be closed to visitors starting March 18. Regular municipal business will continue. We have produced a quick reference booklet announcing our shift in operations with the public.
MUNICIPAL COUNCIL:
All meetings will be conducted via GoToMeeting for the foreseeable future. The meeting agenda with public participation information will be posted on our website the Friday before the meeting. Meetings will still be conducted on the first and third Tuesday of every month unless otherwise noted. Public comment is still allowed! We ask that any comments by the public, on agenda or non-agenda items, be submitted by email before the start of each meeting to PIO@norristown.org.
MUNICIPAL DEPARTMENTS/SERVICES:
NORRISTOWN POLICE
Police will be temporarily scaling back parking enforcement operations in our neighborhoods to accommodate the additional number of people who will be home. Street cleaning parking enforcement has been suspended. Window operations at the police department remain open, but the filing of police reports is being limited to phone calls only. If you need to file a report call 610-275-1222. The Norristown Police Department is asking the public to call 610-270-0977 then press 0 if they need non-emergency assistance. If coming to the police station entrance at the back of Municipal Hall please use the intercom at the door.
CODE ENFORCEMENT
Effective immediately, the following activities have been suspended for a period of at least 30 days, this may be extended if needed: Rental Inspections; property transfer inspections; non-emergency housing complaints; and scheduled non-emergency inspections with the fire department. Please call 610-270-0441 or email codes@norristown.org if you have any questions.
FINANCE/TAXES
NOTICE: The discount period to pay your municipal real estate taxes will be extended to May 31. As of March 18, payment of bills or tickets will not be done at the finance office. Full payment of the face value of your tax bill is being extended to August. Payment should be made with a cashier’s check, money order or personal check and dropped off at the mail slot at the front of the Municipal Hall entrance during regular business hours (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). Cash will not be accepted! Payments can be processed over the phone. Call 610-270-0426 if you have any questions.
Business Privilege Taxes: The deadline to file 2019 final/2020 estimated Business Privilege Tax return and payment has been extended to July 15. The extension does not apply to delinquent taxes.
PLANNING DEPARTMENT
All zoning, subdivision and grant program activities that require one-on-one contact with the public will be conducted through the Planning Department window at Municipal Hall. Small business consultation services shall be done by phone interviews until further notice. Small business seminars are suspended until further notice. Please call 610-270-0451 if you have any questions.
PUBLIC WORKS
There will be a modification to street sweeping starting on April 20. The focus is on streets with parking on one side of the street. Cars will stay on the designated parking side of the street and the sweeper will clean the no parking side. Public Works will manually pick up trash around the parked cars as it has been. You are not expected to move your cars when the sweeper comes pass.
Throughout town, the sweeper will clean sections of streets without cars on them if they can comfortably do so.
Again, no parking tickets will be issued for street sweeping violations.
Any in-person meetings have been canceled in lieu of phone calls.
RECREATION
Activities scheduled by the recreation department and/or hosted at the Norristown Recreation Center are suspended until further notice. Consistent with the Governor’s Stay-at-Home order on March 23, all municipal parks will be closed in order to practice social distancing. The Norristown Recreation Center is also closed.
TRASH/RECYCLING
Weekly trash and recycling collections will continue.
SEPTA
Service has been affected throughout the SEPTA system. More information at http://septa.org/
MUNICIPAL EVENT CANCELLATIONS:
Out of precaution, the following events have been canceled.
Norristown Police Department: The department has canceled all of their current and upcoming community events (TAPS at the high school, the citizens police academy) until further notice.
SCHOOLS AND RECREATION
Norristown Area School District
All NASD schools will be closed for the rest of the schoool year. Please visit nasd.k12.pa.us for updates on homebound instruction.
Elmwood Park Zoo
Closed.
Montgomery County- Norristown Public Library
Closed. Late fines will not be charged at this time. Some virtual resources are available to cardholders at www.mc-npl.org. All programs are canceled through May 4.
UTILITIES
PAW restores water service to customers
Pennsylvania American Water announced that it is putting a moratorium on service shut offs and reinstating service to previously shut-off customers. More information can be found at amwater.com.
PECO
PECO is suspending service disconnections and waiving new late payment charges through at least May 1, 2020. In addition, PECO will continue to remind customers of existing bill assistance resources and energy assistance programs to support them through temporary or extended financial hardship. Go here for more information: PECO expands customer assistance programs