LANDIS — Smaller town governments are maintaining their operations but taking precautions to limit interactions as a part of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance about social distancing to decrease the spread of COVID-19.

Interim Landis Town Manager Leonard Barefoot said citizens are obligated to pay their utility bills, water and electricity, but that he does not want them to be without power or water and sewer during the COVID-19 outbreak. Barefoot said he is willing to work with citizens individually who may be struggling to pay their utility bills.

Landis is operating at full capacity. Employees are being mindful about social distancing, limiting the number of people in face to face meetings and encouraging public safety officials to use any and all necessary safety precautions when dealing directly with the public. 

Municipal services will continue. Recreational and other events of a large gathering have been postponed or canceled. The town recommends citizens to use alternate methods of phone, mail, email or the outside dropbox to conduct business with town staff to limit exposure.

Rockwell town operations are continuing as normal. The town’s playgrounds and shelter are closed, but walking trails remain open.

The same is true in China Grove, where Town Manager Ken Deal said it’s “business as usual.” The town has a plastic barrier at town hall’s front desk that helps put distance between staff and anyone who may be sick. Employees are mostly working from the office, he said, but Deal said he understands any special needs that may need to be accommodated. Deal said no town services, including garbage pickup, has been affected by the outbreak of COVID-19.

Granite Quarry’s town hall is closed to foot traffic, but all town services, including the town’s joint police authority will continue as normal. Large gatherings in the town have been called off. The town has followed the county’s lead with concurrence with a state of emergency.

Spencer’s services will continue as normal and the police department will remain open. but office staff will be working from home and residents can contact staff via regular phone calls to the town, which will be forwarded to staff at their home numbers. Spencer also declared a state of emergency in concurrence with the county.

Cleveland says it has canceled heavy trash pickup until further notice.

Kannapolis

In Kannapolis, which straddles the Rowan-Cabarrus border, the city closed all city buildings to the public on Thursday. Though, all services are being maintained, including garbage, recycling, police, fire and water and sewer service.

The city says parks and greenways are open, except the carousel and train at village park. Parks and recreation programming and special events have been postponed are canceled and the city is not accepting any rentals of its facilities or park shelters.

While city buildings are closed to the public, customers are being encouraged to pay their utility bills online, by mail, by telephone or in the drive-up, dropbox in the parking lot of City Hall. The city says it will not disconnect any customer’s water service during the coronavirus outbreak.

The city also said that work on downtown revitalization is continuing as planning, with final touches underway on the new Cannon Ballers stadium. The stadium will open when health officials and Minor League Baseball say it’s OK. A mixed-use district of apartments and businesses called VIDA is scheduled to open in February.

The city said anyone who needs to contact city staff can use the directory available at kannapolisnc.gov/Contact-Us