Commission Talks CARES Money In Special Wednesday Meeting

By MARK EVANS

mevans@stegenherald.com

Meeting for just under an hour, the Ste. Genevieve County Commission took care of some business last Wednesday, before the courthouse closed for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Presiding Commissioner Garry Nelson and First District Commissioner Randy Bahr voted to name Linda Chapman and James Erochtrup to fill two vacant positions on the county health board. Both individuals had expressed interest in the positions.

They also voted to approve federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security [CARES] Act purchases of Plexiglas, handless  bathroom devices and other items for the county license office’s new location at 753 Ste. Genevieve Drive.

Michele Gatzemeyer, associate clerk, said she had checked the purchases out with legal council. The Commission has been extremely careful to make sure any CARES Act money dispensed from the $2,099,323 the county received, falls into categories approved by auditors.

They also voted to allow County Clerk Sue Wolk and Holly Viox, who has been cleaning the courthouse, to hire a part-time individual to assist Viox.

Another vote approved paying final bills on the county-wide internet “hot spot” program library director Shawn Long is undertaking. Most of the cost was covered by a grant Long obtained.

Meanwhile, an employee in one of the county offices came in, seeking clarification on  the county’s temporary employee COVID-19 quarantine policy.

She asked about the possibility of workers working from home. Nelson said that would be up to each elected official and that it would be feasible for some offices, but not others.

They also discussed the use of sick days for required quarantines. She said the notice given to employees had seemed “vague” and that discussing it with the commissioners “helped a ton.”

Nelson later added that he expects county employees to abide by Center for Disease Control (CDC), state and local quarantine policies, to fight the spread of the virus.