By John Estridge
It was one of the most unusual Franklin County Commissioners’ meetings in the county’s history.
On Tuesday, January 5, there were no public attendees at the public meeting. There were the three commissioners, their administrative assistant Faye Hay, auditor Karla Bauman and one of her employees. Newly elected Franklin County Surveyor Rob Seig was present for some of the meeting.
The Franklin County Government Center is closed to the public and will remain closed until Monday, January 11 due to COVID-19. The commissioners’ room where the meetings take place is on the Government Center’s top floor and located in what used to be the library in the old Brookville High School and Brookville Middle School.
And COVID-19 topics dominated much of the meeting.
Commission President Tom Linkel opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance. The meeting was attended by about 20-plus people through Zoom. Also, the commissioners used a new audio system in the meeting room, which greatly enhanced the audio quality.
Video showed empty chairs where media and public members usually sit during governmental meetings.
After the Pledge, Linkel gave a COVID-19 report concerning the county. Linkel began the presentation and then Angie Ruther, the county health nurse, added more information via Zoom.
According to Linkel, there have been 1,280 cases in the county and 29 deaths. The last death was a female in her 70s. There are 113 active cases being watched by the county health department. Of those 113 cases, 25 are hospitalized. A total of 1,138 people in the county have recovered from the illness.
According to Ruther, the nuns in Oldenburg and staff members are being given the COVID-19 vaccine by Margaret Mary Health employees. CVS employees are supposed to take the vaccine to Brookville Healthcare next week for residents and employees there.
Linkel said the local health department will receive a limited supply of the vaccine next week, and it will be given out to first responders and healthcare employees. Emails have already gone out to those people in those two groups in order for the individuals to make appointments to get the vaccine. The Indiana State Department of Health decides how much of the vaccine each county receives and who is allowed to receive it.
Ruther was asked if there are any hot spots within the county. She said the county is seeing a spike due to holiday gatherings, people working outside the county and sporting events.
“In answer to the question about how it is spreading, it’s the same way it has been spreading all along,” Ruther said. “People have gatherings, let their guard down, all the holidays. We all want to get together with our loved ones. And it’s just booming. There’s no known hot spots. It’s in Franklin County like it has been since March (2020). Nothing’s really changed.”
Ruther was then asked if people who have the virus are giving it to people out in public, or if the people, with the virus, are asymptomatic and are unknowingly spreading it.
“The majority of the people we talk to are not asymptomatic,” Ruther said. “They have mild symptoms and don’t really feel the worst. They go about their daily duties and spread it unknowingly. People get sick from that.”
Ruther said many Franklin County residents work elsewhere and then bring the virus back to the county.
“You have to remember a lot of Franklin County residents don’t work in Franklin County,” Ruther said. “So, they go to work (and) bring it back home. Sporting events, parties those things. That’s where it’s coming from.”
Since the Government Center was closed to the public, Linkel was asked if it was going to be mandatory for county employees to wear masks at all times while they are at work. Linkel said employees who are social distanced when sitting at their desks do not need to wear masks. However, if they have to get up and move around where they would be within the six-foot guidelines from fellow employees or the public, then they would need to mask up.
Later in the meeting, Linkel was asked what the safe amount of people could be in attendance at future governmental meetings held in the commissioners’ room. Linkel said they like to hold it to 15 people not counting the commissioners and other government officials so in total it is about 20-22. He was then asked about an upcoming public hearing for the Area Plan Commission concerning solar farm regulations. It is sure to draw a big crowd.
Bauman suggested one person designated by government officials come to the public hearing and regulate the participation for those on Zoom so one person can speak at a time. Linkel and the other commissioners said that sounded like a good way to have a meeting of that size.
A planned APC public hearing in January concerning the solar farm regulations has been postponed to February due to the COVID-19 spike in cases.
Also, commissioners approved purchasing a generator for the health department, which would keep the vaccines cold during an electric outage. Its price was $15,000. Another $100,000 generator for the entire Government Center was deemed too expensive.
Lastly, Bauman said the commissioners needed to extend the county regulation that allows county employees to have 80 hours off paid for COVID-19-related matters such as quarantining and being off sick with the virus. Once the 80 hours are used either in 2020 or 2021, the employee must use personal time. Bauman said her office tracks the amount of hours each employee uses in this fashion.
Commissioners extended the program through 2021.
At the meeting’s end, Linkel said the county is utilizing air sanitizers in governmental buildings. Maintenance employee Darren Brack could be seen installing the machine for the commissioners’ room during the meeting. Also, the county is installing finer air filters throughout the buildings.