County Commission Chairman Matt Brooks is expected to sign State of Emergency declaration.
By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter
Levy County Commissioners Tuesday gave preliminary approval to a Coronavirus State of Emergency to ease restrictions on how they govern in the evolving crisis.
County Attorney Anne Bast Brown was given authority to turn the draft document into a finished product, and for Commission Chairman Matt Brooks to sign the State of Emergency prior to full board approval in three weeks.
Brown said the declaration waives procedures for purchasing, hiring and protection of health and adds language from the governor regarding the Coronavirus. The declaration will leave room for future adjustments as needed.
She said there has been discussion of conducting county commission meetings in non-traditional ways and possibly allowing for teleconferences where the public could call in with questions.
The declaration allows the county departments to track their time and labor related to the Coronavirus preparations and activities. County Emergency Management Director John MacDonald said anyone who has to work from home can buy a laptop and get reimbursed through the program.
“Anyone that has to work at home, you can purchase a laptop and remote from there, that’s covered under this,” MacDonald said.
Brooks said “that doesn’t mean we want to go on a buying spree of laptops.” He said he doesn’t see why the county would have to discontinue meeting as a board. He said he thinks they should meet the way they always have.
Commissioner John Meeks said the declaration would allow the board to meet at different locations.
Brown said the declaration gives the board the flexibility to adjust to new orders from the governor that the board would have to comply with.
“There is no telling what may come next. There is no prediction,” she said.
Commissioner Mike Joyner protested the possibility of the board being unable to meet in the usual way.
“I agree with what you just said, but it ain’t right. The governor telling us, that the people of our county that put us here to make decisions and help them, if we want to meet to do our jobs, that’s like telling me I can’t wear a gun when I go to work on the street,” Joyner said.
Coronavirus Changes Transit Operations
Levy County Transit Director Connie Conley announced that transit buses would carry passengers going to medical appointments for the next two weeks, and limit other trips. She did not rule out carrying someone to buy groceries.
Conley said she wants to cut down on the number of stops to keep the drivers safer. She said they won’t be taking anyone to libraries or places like that.
“We’re trying to keep our drivers as safe as possible,” she said.
The drivers are sanitizing their buses every day.
“We’re doing everything we can to sanitize seats, windows, hand rails. The drivers spray with Lysol. They are bleaching their floors at the end of every day,” she said.
She said if even one driver tests positive for the Coronavirus it could result in the transit being forced to cease operations.
“My concern is if one driver has been exposed they’re going to shut us down completely, because when they come into our office we are all in effect drivers,” she said. “If someone has to go to the grocery store and they don’t have any other means, by all means, we will provide that trip. We’re doing all medical trips. We’re limiting those other trips.”
She said transit is trying to limit the exposure of its drivers as well as the exposure of members of the public who ride the buses.
“If somebody gets on our bus that has been exposed and we find out later, we’re going to wind up suspending all services, so we’re just trying to prevent suspending all services,” she said.
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Board of County Commission Regular Meeting March 17, 2020; Posted March 17, 2020
