Masks recommended, not required to enter courthouse

By Carol McIntire
Editor

County commissioners stopped short of mandating persons entering the courthouse wear a mask, but are recommending visitors wear a facial covering,
During the April 30 meeting, commissioners discussed mandating masks, but after hearing comments from Commissioner Lewis Mickley, opted for the recommendation.
Amy Campbell, office administrator for the Carroll County General Health District, who provided a coronavirus (COVID-19) update, recommended the action via phone call. Commissioners were all seated in separate rooms during the session.
“Masks protect the public and employee so I highly recommend they all wear masks,” she said.
“Do you think we should mandate masks?” asked Commissioner Jeff Ohler.
Commissioners were expecting delivery of 1,200 masks they ordered for employees early this week.
They plan to distribute two masks per employee to over 400 employees in the county.
“If we give out two per employee that won’t leave a lot of extras and we should have some at the courthouse entrance for people who don’t have one with them if we are going to mandate they wear one,” Ohler stated.
“I feel we should go with the governor’s recommendation that visitors wear a mask, but we have no business mandating they wear one,” Mickley said.

Ohler said he was good with the recommendation. Wirkner deferred to Campbell asking for her recommendation.
“The governor made the recommendation. It is up to you how you want to enforce it,” she replied.
In other matters, commissioners:
-ACCEPTED the bid of Frontier for $1,648 per month for five years to provide telephone and internet services to the county and $27,790.29 for a five-year maintenance contract.
-ENACTED a hiring freeze for general fund departments until the financial emergency ends, with exceptions for the replacement of essential employees.