MARQUETTE — The Marquette County Board of Commissioners addressed COVID-19 related actions taken by the board thus far and how to address future matters at its Tuesday meeting.

The board first addressed and formally approved actions already taken by Marquette County Administrator Scott Erbisch and Marquette County Board of Commissioners Chairman Gerald Corkin in relation to COVID-19.

These actions included requiring employees returning from vacation or air travel to remain off-site for 14 days to limit exposure to the work force; limiting visitors to the Marquette County Courthouse Complex and Ishpeming Service Center to appointment only, and a public health workforce reduction plan identifying essential and nonessential employees. Pay hasn’t been affected, but hours not worked due to the executive order are being tracked.

The board then unanimously approved a recommendation to authorize Corkin and Erbisch to adopt emergency measures related to COVID-19 as warranted in the coming weeks.

The recommendation notes the fluid nature of the COVID-19 situation and the need to periodically respond with decisions prior to a board meeting or special meeting.

“What I am recommending with this is, we don’t know, this may ramp up again, but allowing the chairman and I to — under emergency measures — make decisions that would normally have board authorization, kind of like what we’ve done for the first memo you approved, but to formalize this activity at least through the next month or so,” Erbisch said. “Not indefinitely, that’s not what this is and tied specifically to COVID-19 related measures.”

The board would then be made aware of measures taken by Erbisch and Corkin and act on them at future meetings.

Commissioners also took action in response to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act passed by President Donald Trump which creates two weeks of emergency paid sick leave and paid leave for family care for certain COVID-19 related absences.

The board voted to:

≤ Not opt out of the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act, which gives all essential staff, such as sheriff’s office, health department and corrections staff, two weeks of paid sick leave related to COVID-19.

≤ Exclude health care providers and emergency responders from the employees eligible for the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act which makes employees eligible for an additional 10 weeks of partially paid leave to care for children due to a COVID-19 related school or daycare closure.

“Given the lack of an apparent need for this leave, as well as the critical role health department, road patrol, corrections, and central dispatch employees play in responding to the COVID-19 crisis, it appears appropriate to exclude these employees from those eligible for expanded leave under the FMLA,” board documents state.

≤ Immediately begin tracking leave taken by essential employees for childcare purposes due to COVID-19 but not count any other eligible COVID-19 related leave as long as the county continues to pay employees in non-essential positions.

“Staff believes this option strikes an appropriate balance, as employees only receive two weeks of paid emergency sick leave versus 12 weeks due to a school or daycare closure (the first two weeks are paid out as emergency sick leave). Additionally, staff is reluctant to begin tracking emergency sick leave for essential employees when non-essential employees remain off work with full pay and benefits,” board documents state.

≤ Not reduce pay for essential employees who need to take leave under the FFCRA as long as nonessential employees continue to be paid by the county.

Corkin ended the discussion by noting the importance of supporting county employees given the current situation.

The board also delayed 2020 capital projects considered nonessential due to potential economic challenges that may result from the pandemic.

Erbisch recommended the board move forward with certain projects such as the replacement of the county jail boiler, a fire hydrant replacement project, the replacement of a generator at the county detention center and other projects critical to health and safety.

Commissioner Karen Alholm recommended during the meeting the Sugarloaf Parking Lot project be included in the projects to move forward. She noted the increasing popularity of the site and the safety hazard that comes with pedestrian traffic as why the project should perhaps continue as planned.

“I totally agree with your suggestion,” Corkin said. “I think it’s one that we should move forward. The (Marquette County Road Commission) has stepped forward and said they will put in a proposal to do it. They want to do it.”

The road commission said they would consider taking on the project and let the county pay them back over the course of five years.

Trinity Carey can be reached at tcarey@miningjournal.net