(Posted March 17, 2020)
By Josephine Birdsell, Staff Writer
At their March 16 meeting, West Jefferson village council members updated the village employment policy and implemented safety measures related to the coronavirus outbreak.
Council suspended travel to conferences and training for village employees. They also suspended village meetings and activities expected to attract large numbers of people.
Village leaders are urging employees who are sick, have been exposed to the coronavirus, or have been diagnosed with the coronavirus to stay home and work from home, if possible. Council granted the village’s “at risk” elderly employees the option to work from home.
These village employee updates are scheduled to last until May 16. Council has the ability to amend or end them at any time.
Village leaders also are urging the citizens of West Jefferson to prioritize public health.
“Stay home,” said Mayor Ray A. Martin. “That’s the best thing to do right now, is to stay home.”
As of March 17, there were no confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Madison County, but there were confirmed cases in neighboring Franklin County, according to the Ohio Department of Health.
The village of West Jefferson is taking precautions to minimize the risk of spread of the virus.
“It only takes one, and we don’t want that one,” Martin said.
The village closed the West Jefferson Community Center for public events. The center will remain open for private renters. The village will clean the community center each Monday, and individual renters are expected to clean the space after every use.
Council also increased sanitary measures at village government buildings, including sanitation and employee use of gloves. Council recommends that residents who visit the utility office leave documents in the office drop box or in the door slot to avoid contact between individuals.
Council will meet once weekly to address coronavirus concerns and plan and adjust reactionary measures.
To stay updated, visit the “Village of West Jefferson” on Facebook.
