PIQUA — Beginning on Tuesday, the Piqua City Offices will be closed to the public to protect both the public and their staff. In a press release, city officials said, “It is imperative that we protect our staff from COVID-19 so they are able to continue to provide essential operations to the Piqua community. It is equally important that we do our part to prevent citizen exposure to one another.”

The following procedures will be in effect until further notice:

• Health Department: To apply for a birth or death certificate, a plumbing permit, or contractor registration, fill out the forms available on the Health & Sanitation Page at www.piqua.org/city-departments/health-department. These forms can be mailed or dropped into the Utilities Billing Office Drop Box located between the Fire Department and the Utility Billing Office and please include a check for payment. Applications will be processed as quickly as possible. Be sure to include a phone number and email address so the city can contact you when the items are available.

General questions and questions regarding refuse and recycling can be directed to 937-778-2060. For information or questions regarding the coronavirus pandemic, please call 1-833-4-ASK ODH. The Piqua Health Department can be contacted at 937-778-2060.

• Utility Billing Office: The Utility Billing Office phone lines will be available between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Payments may be made through their automated phone system, on their website, or mailed to their office at 201 W. Water St., Piqua.

Customers may also use the Utility Billing Office’s outside payment drop box located by the Fire Department on the west side of the building. When making a payment on their automated phone system or online, please have your full utility account number available. Requests to transfer utility services will be processed over our phone lines with the proper information. Meter Readers will not be entering residences and will have to be estimated for electric billing.

The Utility Billing Office can be contacted at 937-778-2000.

• Income Tax Office: The Income Tax office will be available by phone between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tax return filings and check payments can be mailed to their office at P.O. Box 1223, Piqua, Ohio, 45356 or they can be dropped off in the Utility Payment Drop Box located by the Fire Department on the west side of the building. If you have already filed a return in their office and wish to make a credit card payment for a balance due, please contact their office at 937-778-2009. Tax forms and instructions are available on their website at piquaoh.org/city-departments/finance-department/income-tax/income-tax-forms/.

• Police Department: Public access to the building will be suspended. Community members needing to speak to a police officer will be asked to wait outside instead of in the lobby. Anyone at the building needing to speak to an officer should use the phone located in the entryway. This phone rings to the Miami County Dispatch Center. During normal business hours, members of the public should call the department prior to arriving in person.

In addition, the following items will be suspended until further notice: No civilian Fingerprinting and no public building tours. Public Records Requests will be handled by phone, email, or through the city of Piqua’s website.

Some of the precautions the patrol officers will be making in the immediate future:

• Officers may try to handle more situations by phone call instead of person to person.

• Officers may be speaking to people outside of buildings/residences rather than holding conversations inside.

• Officers may be seen wearing gloves more often or other Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) as a situation dictates.

The Police Department’s Non-Emergency Line is 937-778-2027.

Miami County Dispatch’s Non-Emergency Line is 937-440-9911.

• Engineering Department: The Engineering Department will be accepting permit applications by email at [email protected] or you may mail them to the Engineering Department at 201 W. Water St., Piqua, Ohio, 45356. The applications are available on the city of Piqua website at piquaoh.org/city-departments/engineering/.

The Engineering Department can be contacted at 937-778-2044.

For more information, visit the city’s website at piquaoh.org.