Union County officials are expecting that COVID-19 precautions will last at least through the end of May.
County officials are working through a variety of measures to keep employees and the public safe when they come into county office buildings.
Human Resources Manager Ginger Yonak said “safety of our employees, obviously is our primary concern.”
“The goal is that no outbreak would be blamed on county business and cramming people into the building,” County Administrator Tim Hansley said.
This morning Yonak presented “Safe Work Practice Guidance” to the commissioners. She said she hopes the information will help provide information for office holders, department heads and employees.
The information provides guidance for wearing masks, for social distancing, for sanitizing work spaces even for returning to work after quarantine.
“We want to be able to include best practices and protocols we have compiled during this unique time,” Yonak said.
Hansley said that while limiting the number of people in the offices at any one time is important, it is also important that county employees are available to do county business.
“We are getting a lot of work done,” Hansley said.
He did explain that the work being done is “kind of different right now.”
“We are spending as much time, effort and money on the crisis and all of our normal business has taken a back seat,” Hansley said.
The way officials are working is also different.
The county administrator is working in the office one day a week and remotely the other days. Many other staff members are also in the office some days and working from home other days.
“It’s working extremely well, frankly,” Hansley said.
Hansley said staff recommendations allow for each office holder to make decisions that are best for their operations.
“They all have specific needs that they need to be able to address and we want them to be able to do that,” Hansley said.
Union County Treasurer Andrew Smarra explained that he needs to have employees available to other office holders and to the public. He said bills still need paid and money needs collected.
“We have to be here…we have to physically be here,” Smarra said.
He said the county has installed a plastic barrier to protects employees and customers. He said having employees able to be at the counter, “feels a lot more normal, but there is a lot less traffic,” Smarra said.
Despite some glitches in this morning’s meeting, Hansley said online meetings have been going “very well.”
“I think they are finding this is actually more efficient,” Hansley said. “It is amazing how much work we get done remotely on our computers.”
The administrator said he and other officials are following the guidelines of Gov. Mike DeWine, the county Emergency Management Agency as well as the state and local health departments.
Officials are working with prosecutors to determine how to deal with members of the public who refuse to follow the guidelines.
Hansley credited Health Commissioner Jason Orcena with helping the community and offering guidance.
“He is very measured, very practical, very knowledgeable,” Hansley said. “He acts without overreacting.”
Yonak said the county and office holders will take “a gradual or phased in approach to reopening.”
Hansley added that, “we are not going to be back to what we used to call normal until the end of the summer and into the fall.”