The City of Rochelle and Rochelle Municipal Utilities are committed to providing you the services you rely on every day. Thanks to the ongoing emergency management planning and practice that our staff regularly takes part in, plans are in place. We have been in regular communication with the Ogle County Health Department, Rochelle Community Hospital and our School Districts over the past several weeks.
Our team is constantly in communication to maintain our operations and the high quality of service you expect from us. We are taking measures to keep our First Responders safe. The Rochelle Police Department’s Dispatch center has implemented new standards of asking more detailed questions of callers in order to prepare our first responders for the scene upon arrival. Personal protective equipment is also being provided. Additionally, to keep our employees well, we have eliminated all non-essential travel and employees who are feeling unwell are required to stay home.
In our Electric and Water Utilities, we have emergency contingency plans in place along with mutual aid agreements that could bring additional staff into Rochelle if the need arose. Your water supply and electric systems are safe. In our Communications Utility, staff is taking steps to allow employees throughout the City to work remotely.
City Hall and RMU Customer Service remain open, although staffing and services could be limited at times. We suggest calling ahead before visiting. We are able to take payments online or by phone and offer the City Clerk’s services by mail. The Utility Office also has an outdoor dropbox for anyone who would prefer not to come inside.
Going forward, we will share information regularly on our website, cityofrochelle.net, on our facebook page, with the Rochelle NewsLeader and on WRHL & The Coyote radio stations. Sign up for text alerts at cityofrochelle.net/alert.
Our community is resilient and comes together when times get tough. This is one of those times. If you can safely help a neighbor, please do so. If you can support a local business, please do that. Its time to come together and extend each other patience, grace and empathy. Our community will come out stronger than we were before.
The health and well-being of our staff and our residents is of the utmost importance. We wish you well and appreciate your support and patience in the days to come.