County departments adopt further changes for COVID-19 response

Tuesday, March 24, 2020
Putnam County Courthouse

In response to the ever-changing COVID-19 pandemic Putnam County government is undergoing further changes for the coming two weeks and perhaps beyond.

In a memo to county department heads on Tuesday afternoon, County Attorney Jim Ensley announced the plan to be implemented by individual departments.

While the Level 2 Public Health Emergency declared over the weekend has not changed, some of the specific responses to the emergency have been changed based on further information and Gov. Eric Holcomb’s declaration of a Stay at Home policy for the state, announced Monday to be implemented on Wednesday.

The following procedures were set forth for individual county offices, to take effect Wednesday, March 25 and last through at least Tuesday, April 7:

• County Courts: Judge Matt Headley, Judge Denny Bridges and Magistrate Melinda Jackman-Hanlin will co-ordinate a schedule to ensure a court will be open, as necessary. All non-essential matters on the docket have already been re-set to later dates.

• Juvenile and adult probation offices should take guidance from the Judges regarding their respective schedules.

• The Prosecutor’s Office will remain open to receive phone calls from the public, appear in court and receive police reports to process new criminal charges, as necessary.

• The Clerk’s Office/Voter Registration will remain open with minimum personnel needed to process time-sensitive matters from the courts and Prosecutor’s Office. Other personnel should implement procedures to return phone messages and/or work from home if possible.

• Community Corrections offices need only remain open to perform scheduling operations with clients, as necessary, but should implement procedures to return phone messages and/or work from home if possible.

• The Assessor’s Office will be open for essential business on Friday, March 27 and Friday, April 3 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., but should implement procedures to return phone messages and/or work from home if possible.

-The Plat Office will be open for essential business on Friday, March 27 and Friday, April 3 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., but should implement procedures to return phone messages and/or work from home if possible.

• The Auditor’s Office will be open for essential business on Friday, March 27 and Friday, April 3 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., but should implement procedures to return phone messages and/or work from home if possible.

• The Recorder’s Office will be open for essential business on Friday, March 27 and Friday, April 3 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., but should implement procedures to return phone messages and/or work from home if possible.

• The Treasurer’s Office will be open for essential business on Friday, March 27 and Friday, April 3 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., but should implement procedures to return phone messages and/or work from home if possible.

• The Veterans Affairs Office will be open for essential business all day on Monday, 3-30-20, and Monday, 4-6-20, but should implement procedures to return phone messages and/or work from home if possible.

• The Surveyor’s Office need not remain open but should implement procedures to return phone messages and/or work from home if possible.

• The Putnam County Highway Office will remain closed to the public but available by phone during normal business hours.

• Building & Planning should implement procedures to return phone messages and/or work from home if possible, but be available for limited hours twice a week to process permits as needed.

County-run emergency departments such as the Sheriff’s Department, EMS, 911 Dispatch and the Putnam County Health Department were left to the guidance of their own elected officials or department heads, as all are vital during the ongoing health emergency.

Ensley also noted the Putnam County Commissioners are in the process of adopting policies to allow employees to be paid despited not physically being in the workplace. The commissioners were set to convene in a special meeting Wednesday morning to discuss such a resolution.

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