Putnam County offices to be closed for April 8 total solar eclipse event

Experts have estimated that the population of Putnam County could temporarily double on Monday, April 8 as a total solar eclipse darkens the afternoon skies.

The Putnam County Commissioners don’t want their employees to be part of the problem, voting unanimously on Tuesday to close county offices for the day.

Based on experiences of areas that have gone through previous events, Indiana and other states through which the path of the eclipse will pass are preparing for an influx of tourists for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to view a total solar eclipse.

The last time Indianapolis was in the path of totality was 819 years ago. The April 8 event will be the last total solar eclipse visible from the contiguous United States until 2044.

Of course, even with offices closing, not all county employees will have the day off. Sheriff Jerrod Baugh noted at a previous meeting that his department will be all hands on deck so that deputies can address traffic concerns.

Putnam County 911 Dispatch and Putnam County EMS will, of course, also be working.

“It’s not apocalyptic — it is just a travel event,” Baugh noted.

Then again, with the totality phase beginning at 3:05 p.m., traffic will still be heavy at 4 p.m. when county employees would be trying to commute home.

Likewise, all four school districts in the county have also canceled school for the day.

Of course, the preparations will be right out the window if April 8 turns out to be overcast in the area.

Still, county officials feel more prepared by simply avoiding any headaches for employees.

Also of note during the meeting are some changes that new Coroner Todd Zeiner is trying to make in his office, with the commissioners approving $10,335.94 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to improve equipment for the department.

Zeiner, who took over for Jon Myers in December, noted that in 2023, the department spent $9,500 on transports, but could have spent far less.

With no way of using coroner vehicles to do transports in the past, the department has relied on Bittles & Hurt/Hopkins-Rector Funeral Homes for transports. However, Zeiner said when this potentially involves a wreck on the highway and an autopsy in Terre Haute, this can mean three separate transport fees.

“Every time they transport a body it’s $175, and that hasn’t gone up in eight years I’ve been in the department,” Zeiner said. “So what’s going to happen when goes up for inflation?”

As an alternative, Zeiner will purchase two cots for $1,295 each, with one placed in each of two department vehicles.

He noted that this will not end the partnership with the local funeral homes, but provide added capability.

“I know this has been an issue for a long time,” Zeiner said. “I’ve wanted to do this with previous coroners, and I’ve recommended it.”

Additionally, with an eye toward safety, a pair of upgrades will be added to the cooler housed at Putnam County Hospital.

At a cost of $1,750, roller shelves will be added to the cooler, while a body lift will be installed at a cost of $5,986.

Zeiner said this will make it safer to get bodies into and out of the cooler, noting that he wasn’t sure how the department and the PCH nurses who assist them had avoided lifting injuries in the past.

One other upgrade coming at no cost to the department is taking possession of a 2017 Ford Explorer from the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office. Zeiner said that while the old police vehicle has 280,000 miles, it drives much better and more safely than the current second coroner’s vehicle.

In other business, the commissioners:

• Approved a $15,723 expenditure from the cumulative courthouse fund for safety upgrades in the anteroom of the Putnam Circuit Court office.

Most notably, the project includes the installation of bulletproof glass that will protect both Headley and his staff.

• Approved a pair of rezoning requests that had already been given positive approval by the Putnam County Plan Commission.

First of all, a 14-acre tract on State Road 240 was rezoned from A1 to A2. Owner Damon Glaze requested the move in order to split it in two and build another house. However, this would not meet the density requirements of an A1 district.

The rezone of 15 acres on County Road 50 South in Marion Township was also approved in order for Bethel Baptist Church to build a new church building. This land had previously been part of the two-mile fringe of the City of Greencastle, and therefore would not have needed a rezone under the city’s zoning laws.

With the two-mile fringe ceasing to be on Jan. 1, county approval of the rezone was required, as churches are not an allowed use of A1 land.

Woodall was joined for the meeting by fellow commissioners David Berry and Tom Helmer. The next meeting of the Putnam County Commissioners is set for 9 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 5.