The Board of County Commissioners wants to be prepared for the next emergency situation in Grays Harbor County.
The coronavirus causing COVID-19, has them making preparations.
The commission wants county departments to be ready in case a sick wave overtakes personnel. They want to know who are essential personnel, who can work from home and each department’s disaster plans.
The commission held a workshop Tuesday, March 10, with most department heads present. On the agenda was the hiring of a temporary worker for the county Public Health and Social Services Department. Two workers are expected to take three-month leaves through the Paid Family and Medical Leave program, creating a six-month staffing shortage.
The commissioners took the opportunity to ask, “what if.”
“With COVID-19, I think we may be faced more and more with (a shortage of personnel),” Commissioner Vickie Raines said.
She went on to express concerns about staffing at the county jail.
“I’m more worried about the corrections officers,” Raines said. “(If) We have one or two of those go down … we’re already short handed.”
Commissioner Wes Cormier said the threat of sickness could be enough to hinder county income.
“The fairgrounds, they’re on a shoestring budget,” Cormier said. If large events are canceled, the county would lose revenue and might have to supplement the Fairgrounds, Tourism and Parks Department’s budget. “What’s their next step? They have these $30,000 events coming up.”
The commission decided to seek input from department heads on emergency preparedness. An email was sent asking administrators to make sure departments are prepared for a wave of sickness.
“The Commissioners are asking all Departments Administrators under their purview to provide input regarding office operations should there be a need for reduced staffing,” the email states. They ask that plans be submitted to them by March 20 and focus on at least three issues:“Who are the essential personnel within your office that would be required to work even if there is a full shut down? (Job title including employee name)
“Which employees would be eligible to telework for a short period of time if necessary and do you already have the IT equipment necessary for this (laptops or their home computers)?
“What is your operational plan for a reduced workforce in the case of numerous absences due to sick leave?”
In the meantime, the commission is considering letting workers share sick time with other employees who might run out because of an extended illness.
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Norma Tillotson suggested that the council could make such considerations happen.
“In an emergency situation, you could relax those rules,” she said.
Tillotson said she would draw up a resolution the commissioners could enact in emergency situations that would “authorize the short term administrative leave for people who have to go home sick, (and) the sharing of sick leave as opposed to just vacation donations.”
Central Services Department Director Gary Mawhorter said his team has already begun looking into options for workers, including testing internet bandwidth and inventorying available laptops for people to work remotely.
“Central Services is stepping up, finding our capacity for telecommuting,” he said.
