June 15-22: City Hall Closure for Mold Remediation

To the Moorpark Community:

As Moorpark's City Manager, I am responsible for the City's day-to-day operations and City staff. The last time I wrote an open letter to the community, it was to announce a full closure of City Hall during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, at a time when nearly 20% of the City staff was actively unable to work due to the pandemic. Unfortunately, we have encountered another situation that will certainly have an impact on the way we conduct business.

Last week, routine air tests identified black mold in three of the four structures comprising Moorpark City Hall at 799 Moorpark Avenue. The impacted buildings are the Administration Building, and parts of the temporary buildings housing Information Technology staff and employee breakrooms. Those three facilities were then closed, and affected staff were reassigned to remote work, mostly in the City's Emergency Operations Center, until remediation could be completed. Tests in the fourth structure, the Development Services Temporary Trailer that contains the City Hall public counter, showed that the air was safe, but a visual inspection found some areas of mold growth that must also be remediated before the air becomes unsafe. Unfortunately, the buildings cannot be occupied during the actual remediation work, which is what is prompting the closure from June 15 through June 22.

Fortunately, we have come a long way over the past few years since the last closure. We now accept applications and issue most permit types online now (at www.moorparkca.gov/shop), including building permits and parking permits. We now review construction plans electronically, frequently eliminating the need to physically come to City Hall altogether. We have also acquired the technology and experience for our staff to quickly shift to remote work. Nevertheless, there will still be a few minor disruptions, and I want to thank the Moorpark public and our customers for their patience during the next week.

Folks who do not routinely come to City Hall may not notice a difference during the closure. Police will be on patrol. Potholes will be filled. Buses will be running. Parks, the Moorpark City Library, and the Active Adult Center will be open. The June 21 City Council meeting will take place as scheduled. In short, the City is open for business.

For many years, it has been apparent that City Hall did not belong in a building and trailers with years of deferred maintenance and past their useful lives. To that end, the City has acquired a vacant office/warehouse building (323 Science Drive) and this summer will solicit construction bids for the interior improvements needed to convert it to the next Moorpark City Hall. That is the long-term solution, and we will move into the new building in 2024.

But with the new building not yet available and our backup counter location also affected by the mold, I have made the decision to close the public counter during the mold remediation. I have a responsibility to keep both the City staff and our customers safe. I ask that the Moorpark community please be patient with us in the coming week. I know I speak for the entire City staff when I say we want to get back in person so we can do what we do best: people helping people.

Sincerely,

Troy Brown
City Manager

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