County departments ask fiscal court for covid-19 protections as delta variant continues to spread

Muhlenberg County Fiscal Court held a special meeting on Aug. 31 to hear about covid-related needs from department heads across county government. Ranging from sneeze guards to paid time off for covid quarantines, concerns about the current state of the pandemic were expressed.

Signs on windows throughout the courthouse notify the public of restrictions to accessing services there. A sign in the Judge Executive’s office says no one is allowed behind the main foyer, and another posted at the PVA office says they are closed to in-person services until further notice. The Muhlenberg County Clerk’s office was closed for a day recently, due to quarantines.

Judge Executive Curtis McGehee said the county’s emergency management department is not permitting any visitors in the 911 center, in an effort to keep staff safe. McGehee said he is using the fiscal court room for meetings, where he can socially distance from visitors.

County Clerk Crystal Smith reported to the court her office has had a few people in quarantine over the past two weeks. The office where the public visits for automobile registration services is small and employees work in close quarters, Smith said. They also cannot do their work from home or make a rotating schedule, she added.

Smith is hoping to install some permanent glass barriers in the office, but has had a hard time getting estimates from contractors. She appealed to the court for help in finding a contractor and asked for ideas on how to better protect workers in the office.

Space isn’t an issue for the Public Works department, where staff can spread out in the open workshop area. Riding to and from job sites is another matter, with complaints coming from employees who have to ride in vehicles with others who are not vaccinated.

The court said Public Works director Kelly Richey can mandate employees to wear a mask while riding in the county-owned work vehicles, and enforce rules that restrict people from smoking in the vehicles.

Sheriff Will Ward expressed a need for a barrier in the courthouse where people come in and out of the courtroom. The court gave him approval to install a barrier, but couldn’t guarantee the maintenance staff could perform the work, due to being short-handed.

Ward and Smith expressed concern over the upcoming tax collection season, when the courthouse is the busiest. McGehee said while he didn’t believe the county can post a mask mandate for the public who enter the building, the court would support installing rope barriers and signs to help direct the crowd as they wait in line. Promoting use of online payments would also be a tactic to keeping crowds at the courthouse down, they said.

Court members seemed unfamiliar with red zone recommendations issued by the state requiring masking inside government buildings, which would include the county courthouse.

The Muhlenberg County Detention Center faces unique challenges. People cycling in and out of the justice system creates a constant stream of new people in the facility, Muhlenberg County Jailer Terry Nunley said. Voluntary covid testing is done as new people are incarcerated there, and Nunley said many have chosen to be vaccinated during their stay. Masks are mandated for staff and people in custody and no visitors are allowed at this time.

Work crews from the jail are fully vaccinated, and are not performing tasks where they would be in contact with the public, Nunley said.

McGehee asked magistrates Malcolm West and Keith Phillips to work with the county health department in establishing covid guidelines for the Muhlenberg County Agriculture and Convention Center, where several events are scheduled over the next few months.

Employees who are ill or in quarantine, or taking care of dependents who are ill or quarantined with covid-19 will be able to take paid days off, extending measures taken during the previous spike in cases. “I think if they have to stay home and it’s something that involved covid, from an ethical perspective, we should pay them,” McGehee said.