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After being shut for three weeks, Cambridge’s city hall will open its doors to the public again on Tuesday.
The closure happened because of “persistent disruptive behaviour” from someone in the community, the city said in a statement late Monday. Council meetings were also held online during that time.
“The ongoing incidents included threating remarks, inappropriate conduct on city property, aggressively pursuing contact with staff and council, and gaining access to restricted areas of city buildings more than once.”
Waterloo regional police told us officers got a call from city hall staff after they received a threatening voicemail from a community member on Sept. 22.
Police said security let them know they’d lock down the building temporarily, and that the person involved was found and “trespassed from all City of Cambridge properties.”
“There were no grounds for criminal charges and no arrest in relation to this incident,” Const. Brad Hickey said in an email reply to Cambridge Chronicle on Sept. 23.
On Tuesday, Hickey added that although there’s an ongoing investigation into these issues, no charges have been made yet.
Some locals were frustrated by the closure-like Barbara Harrington from Cambridge. She had planned to protest outside city hall Tuesday night before council met if it stayed closed.
“It’s a big feeling of being unheard and things being tucked away,” she told Cambridge Chronicle Monday before the announcement about reopening came out. “We have a right as citizens to access our information.”
The City of Cambridge says they’ve put extra safety steps in place when entering city hall and going into council chambers now, including:
Staff training plus updates to current protocols. Security staff at both city hall and council meetings. Checking bags at council sessions. Controlled entry points throughout the building. Managing how people move around inside. Emergency drills with council members and staff. More security upgrades inside council chambers.
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