County commissioners talk about courthouse business and stay at home order

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        At a regular meeting of the Daviess County Commissioners  on Tuesday,  they voted to limit courthouse visits to essential business only. The courthouse is open but has been screening visitors for over a week.   With the increased diligence to stop the spread of the virus, the commissioners made the decision to restrict access a little more.

        If you have courthouse business, you must call the office you are trying to conduct business with to determine if the business can wait before coming to the courthouse. If you must come to the courthouse the only available entrance is on the east side. A deputy will be stationed there to screen anyone wishing to enter the building including checking the persons temperature. The deputy will contact the department which you are planning to visit to confirm the nature of your business is warranted and then will direct you how to proceed. 

        In other discussion, the commissioners spent time talking about how to handle personnel in various departments amid the COVID-19 Pandemic and the state’s stay at home order.

        Commissioners’ President Nathan Gabhart said they would follow the private sector’s lead and department heads will be working with their staff to determine who can and should come in and who shouldn’t.  He said the details would be worked out later when it came to paid leave.  Employees who choose or are advised to not come in will fill out an SD or Social Distancing Form and will be granted a paid excused absence.

        Daviess County Highway Superintendent Phil Cornelius talked about how his department is handling the “new normal”.  Employees in the department are arriving at work going straight from their vehicle to a work vehicle and to a job site.  He says they are putting social distancing between employees and has closed their office to the public coming in.  Workers are also limiting contact with the public when they are out on a job.