FREE ACCESS: All county facilities closed to the public

Thursday, April 2, 2020

County Commissioner Nathan Abrams signed two executive orders Thursday, April 2; one to close the courthouse to all on April 8 for a water line repair and other to close all county-owned and operated facilities to the public temporarily.

The first executive order, 2020-02, will allow water service to the courthouse to be disrupted while a water line is repaired. Employees will not be allowed during this time.

“Given the enhanced need to assure the health and safety of employees, closing the courthouse for the day made the most sense,” wrote county attorney Marvin Abshire in an email to the press.

Executive order 2020-01 closes all county-owned and operated facilities to the public effective noon on Thursday, April 2.

Elected officials, department heads and employees will still have access to these facilities. The order reportedly does not tell officeholders or courts “how to run their respective offices,” though any desire to run them differently than outlined on the county website may require consultation.

“The closure is, in part, the result of an increase in the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19, reported today by ISDH as totaling 8; to add a layer of public health protection to the county’s elected officials, department heads and employees; and to encourage members of the public to take seriously--and to act seriously--upon the Governor’s stay-at-home directive,” Abshire wrote.

A longer-term order may be passed during the when the commissioners meet Tuesday, April 7 at 9:30 a.m.

For those who would like to conference into the partially-telephonic meeting, by calling 812-384-2004 and entering the conference code “422”, only a maximum of 23 telephone lines will be available.

“Until we are able to broadcast these meetings for real-time and recorded viewing, we are doing the best we can to make the meetings available to the public during these uncertain times,” Abshire wrote.

Notices for both the orders will be posted on the county’s website at www.co.greene.in.us.

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  • I guess this includes the recycling center?

    -- Posted by Susan Corbin on Thu, Apr 2, 2020, at 7:00 PM
  • There are several ways to broadcast the meetings live: Facebook, Zoom or even the county website. If a vaccine is a year away, one of these or another method is needed.

    -- Posted by ellis1 on Thu, Apr 2, 2020, at 9:09 PM
  • Ellis1, I agree with you on both need and methods available, and I am working with the commissioners toward video broadcast in the near term. Please stay tuned!

    -- Posted by gcattorney on Fri, Apr 3, 2020, at 8:20 AM
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    gcattorney

    Why wasn't the courthouse closed sooner? It seems to me being proactive is the key here.

    -- Posted by JohnPColeman on Fri, Apr 3, 2020, at 8:59 AM
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