Submitted by the county.
The Board of Commissioners today declared a State of Emergency in Clermont County in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The action came in a room reconfigured to achieve social distancing to help prevent the spread of the virus.
Those who had business to conduct with the board waited in a conference room with a video feed and came into the session individually to speak.
“Extraordinary times require extraordinary action,” David Painter, president of the Board of County Commissioners, said.
Commissioners Ed Humphrey and Claire Corcoran concurred.
The emergency declaration, along with a previous resolution delegating disaster functions in event of an absence of a quorum of the Board, spells out succession of leadership and the authority of the County Administrator in an emergency. It exempts from the competitive bidding process purchases related to the emergency that are greater than $50,000 but less than $100,000, so long as no fewer than three informal estimates are obtained.
The County Administrator is authorized to “take those actions that are necessary and appropriate, including the delegation of administrative and departmental functions among responsible staff to assure proper implementation in exercising this authority,” the resolution states. The County Administrator also will “report to the Board of Commissioners on any actions taken pursuant to this resolution.”
In the absence of a quorum of the County Commissioners, authority is designated to the County Administrator.
In the absence of the County Administrator, the President of the Board may delegate to the Assistant County Administrator or Budget Director.
The resolution also activates the Clermont County Emergency Operations Center for the duration of the emergency in order to coordinate response efforts.
Pam Haverkos, the county’s Emergency Management Agency director, said the declaration would allow the county to obtain state funds in the future if needed.
In addition to the emergency declaration, the Commissioners suspended Monday meetings (except March 23) into the future as well as suspended public participation.
“Through the leadership of Clermont County Public Health and the Clermont County Emergency Management Agency, we’re collaborating with first responders, hospitals, the business community and others to navigate these challenging times,” Painter said. “Our goal is to protect the health of our employees and those they serve. We seek to slow the spread of this highly contagious disease, while continuing to carry forth the essential operations of government.”