Middlesboro City Hall, which has been closed to the public for two weeks due to the increase in COVID-19 cases in the city and Bell County, will remain closed to the public for an additional week.

Middlesboro Mayor Rick Nelson explained the decision to keep the doors closed is due to COVID-19 cases remaining high.

“With the COVID cases – and we’ve got a couple of folks out too – we’ve decided to extend (the closure) to Friday, Sept. 17,” Nelson said.

While the offices are closed, the city is operating normally and officials can be reached by phone.

“We do have phone numbers, if you need to talk to me you can,” Nelson said. “If you need to talk to Codes you can, we’ve got numbers out there so we can answer any questions that you might have.”

Nelson said there is a process for people who must speak to someone in person.

“If you need an appointment, if it’s a real emergency, we can bring you in safely and make sure we social distance, or we can answer questions over the phone,” Nelson said.   

According to the city of Middlesboro’s Facebook page, water bills should be paid using the yellow box outside city hall using checks or money orders or should be mailed directly to the company. The water company can be reached at 844-310-5556. To speak to the city clerk or Codes Enforcement, call 606-248-5670. The Mayor can be reached at 606-670-8307.