On Monday, December 7th, Newberry residents will be able to utilize the new lobby at the Village of Newberry office. The lobby was created to ensure customers can receive services indoors – out of the weather – while protecting staff and residents from exposure to COVID-19. The office had been closed to the public since mid-March.
The new lobby is located in the northwest corner of the room, space formerly used for council and board meetings. Meeting space for those activities has been moved across the street to the old Water & Light offices. Utilizing that space for meetings allows for the public to interact with the elected body without the large pillar (prevalent in the old meeting space) blocking anyone’s view.
Village Manager Allison Watkins stated, “We are looking forward to interacting with our customers inside the building. We hope they are happy with the new lobby. The old layout did not provide an appropriate space for us to adequately provide services to our customers and maintain safe distancing to protect against COVID-19.
“The opportunity to move the council space to a location better suited for public meetings is another positive outcome of this project. We think everyone will be as excited as we are about these improvements”.
The new entrance door is located at the north end of the building located at 302 E. McMillan Avenue. There are signs directing customers to the new entrance. A face covering is required to enter.
Funding for this project was provided through a grant from the State of Michigan.
