Wetaskiwin City Hall limiting visitors with elevator key cards

The City of Wetaskiwin has announced it will be introducing new security measures at city hall next week. 

Beginning Monday, February 10, visitors will require a key card to use the elevator to access the third-floor meeting rooms and council chambers.

"The safety and well-being of our employees and visitors is one of our top priorities,” said city manager Sue Howard in a press release.

“This is one example of how we reflect our commitment to providing a safe and healthy workplace for everyone. A secure work environment starts with proactive safety measures, and these improvements are another step toward protecting our team and the public we serve."

There will be a limited number of visitor key cards available. In the event of large groups of visitors, one key card will be issued per “elevator load” or a city employee will swipe the access point for the group.

Visitor key cards are limited to accessing reception and the third floor.

All visitors to Wetaskiwin City Hall travelling beyond the reception area are still required to sign in.

The city says the requirement is a matter of health and safety as well as security.

"In the event of an emergency and for everyone’s safety, the city must be able to account for everyone in the building," stated the release.