(Spirit Lake)– The Dickinson County Board of Supervisors today (Tues.) approved a three-phase plan to re-open the courthouse to the general public, but no dates for doing that were set. Mike Ehret, the county’s Emergency Management Coordinator, outlined to the supervisors what the first phase would look like…
“Wearing of masks by employees in the building would at the discretion of the department head. The courthouse will remain locked; the public can enter by appointment only. The visitor’s temperature will be taken by an employee of the office who’s receiving the visitor. If their temperature is 100 or higher they’re not going to be allowed in. Only one visitor at a time in the courthouse entryway. Visitors will be required to wear a mask that will be provided by the courthouse if they don’t have one of their own. Visitors will be escorted from the time they enter the building to the time they leave, and only one visitor at a time, unless it’s an issue in the driver’s license office involving a juvenile, then a parent or guardian could accompany them. Through phase one the public is still going to be strongly encouraged to use alternative means to get in the courthouse just like they are now. Again, no date on that. We certainly are not going to go to do that first phase until we have the supplies in that we’ve ordered.”
Ehret added special shields will be placed on all countertops in the building as well.
The restrictions would gradually be eased in the second phase.
That led to discussion over the county’s personnel policy pertaining to COVID-19 that prohibits courthouse employees from traveling outside of a 90 mile radius of Spirit Lake. Sheriff Greg Baloun said it was becoming a morale issue employees and that it wasn’t fair given the fact that people from outside that 90 mile radius are coming into the area, some of them from places that are hot spots for the virus…
“I’m safer going to my grandkids’ house because I’m going from door step to door step, than I am standing at a Wal Mart line on a Saturday afternoon with someone from Worthington ahead of me and someone from Sioux City behind me. You know, we all exercise great common sense keeping our fellow employees safe, but now I think it’s almost turning into punishing the good employees that have abided by the rules and, you know, still common sense needs to prevail amongst your traveling, but now everyone’s traveling here, so.”
The supervisors voted four-to-one to have the 90 mile travel restriction stricken from the county personnel policy. Supervisor Pam Jordan cast the dissenting vote.
