Norwich — The City Hall elevator will be out of service for at least 12 weeks, making some key offices and meetings inaccessible at least temporarily to people with physical disabilities.

City Manager John Salomone issued a news release Friday citing supply chain delays in obtaining parts for the 30-year-old elevator and asking residents to use the Union Street side entrance, which has five steps, as one alternative to reach key offices on the second floor, including the city clerk’s office, state Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities and the city manager’s office.

Those who cannot climb the stairs are asked to call ahead to the offices they need and arrange appointments on the lower level. Assistant City Clerk Roseanne Muscarella said access would be like it was during COVID-19 closures, when the city clerk’s office remained open and met residents on the lower floor with documents they needed, including absentee ballots for the upcoming Aug. 9 primary.

The city asks residents to call the city clerk’s office at (860) 823-3732 to arrange for service. IDs will be required for personal, vital documents.

The tax office, where property owners are paying taxes this month, is at ground level and is fully accessible, as is the registrar of voters office, the assessor and regional probate judge’s office.

A note on the elevator tells those coming to the state adult probation office on a rear upper floor to take a side staircase to Floor M.

Salomone said Friday he is looking into the cost and availability of installing a temporary chair lift from the second to the third floor and possibly adding a temporary ramp at the Union Street side entrance.

City Council meetings are held in Council Chambers on the third floor, and other city meetings often are held in third-floor meeting rooms. Salomone said there are no plans to move council meetings yet. A special meeting is scheduled for Monday on the third floor.

An important public hearing is scheduled for Aug. 1 on a proposed $385 million school construction bond referendum question. The public hearing already has been posted in a legal notice. Salomone said, if necessary, the Aug. 1 meeting could be moved to the more accessible Kelly Middle School auditorium.

John Johnson, Public Works Department facilities and grounds manager, said the mechanical system in the elevator is fine, but the electronic controls have been malfunctioning for over a week. On four days, people were stuck inside with doors that did not open when the elevator reached the intended floor. Johnson said he has had to manually force open the doors. He was stuck inside himself when he took a test ride to figure out the problem.

Parts for the aging electronic controls are no longer available for the elevator, Johnson said Friday. The entire electrical system needs to be upgraded, along with the sensor to ensure doors do not close on riders. Smoke detectors need to be placed outside the door at each level, with sensors to make the elevator stop at the floor above or below if a smoke detector is activated.

The lack of an elevator affects more than City Hall patrons. Mail and FedEx carriers routinely haul packages up the elevator with hand trucks, and custodians haul trash barrels, vacuum cleaners and other equipment to the upper floors.

c.bessette@theday.com