~by Janice Harbaugh for GreeneCountyNewsOnline
The Greene County board of supervisors met on April 13 at the courthouse which continues to be closed to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As in past weeks, the audio of the meeting was electronically available to the public and media through zoom.us.
Kelly Campbell, senior lead partnership specialist for the 2020 census, signed on by telephone to report more than 50 percent of residents in Greene County have already responded to the census, either online or by returning the written packet of questions sent out by the census bureau.
“Response has been mostly online,” she said. Campbell said the census is important because many federal program monies are allocated based on population. “The census will assure Greene County gets its fair share.”
Campbell reported the response from Jefferson residents has thus far been 60 percent and the response from Paton residents has been 57.5 percent.
“We hope for a 90 percent self-response,” Campbell said.
For residents who don’t self-respond by returning the census packet or going online to complete the census questions, census-takers will eventually visit their home in order to record the information in person.
To respond online to the census, Campbell gave the website address: my2020Census.gov. To respond by telephone, the phone number is 1-844-330-2020. Phone lines are open 7 days a week from 6 am to 1 am.
County attorney Thomas Laehn reported a decrease in the rate of general crime over the past weeks. “There has been an increase in mental health hearings,” he said, “and domestic assaults.”
Laehn spoke about controversy across the nation regarding keeping people in jail in close proximity in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. He said, “We go on a case by case basis. Each case has to be evaluated.” Delayed sentencing has been used to lessen contact.
“There will probably be a backlog (of people waiting to serve sentences),” Laehn said, “but not as bad here as elsewhere.”
Courtney Palmershiem, developmental coordinator of ACCESS assault care center, signed on electronically to read a proclamation to make April Sexual Assault Awareness Month in Greene County.
Reading from the proclamation, Palmershiem said, “Sexual harassment, assault, and abuse are widespread and impact every person in this community.”
The proclamation states “one in five women and one in 67 men will be raped at some point in their lives. One in six boys and one in four girls will experience sexual assault before the age of 18. On campus, one in five women and one in 16 men are sexually assaulted during their time in college.”
Chair John Muir said, “The county joins advocates and communities across the country in taking action to prevent sexual violence. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and each day of the year is an opportunity to create change for the future.”
Muir added the county sheriff and county attorney are available to help.
Jefferson city administrator Mike Palmer signed on electronically to report on building work around the downtown square. He said the Jefferson city council will be awarding roof construction at Angie’s Tea Room soon and glass windows are expected at the former Pizza Ranch. Architects continue to look at the AirTemp and CompuServe buildings.
Palmer also said bids will be opened April 22 for trail projects. The four trails involved are the eastside Lincolnway trail; Greenewood trail; Daubendiek trail replacement; and the Central Avenue sidewalk to the new high school.
Palmer reported a bid opening on May 5 for the airport project with the work awarded on May 12.
Palmer also suggested the possibility of using the speakers around the downtown square to play 1950s and 1960s music during the recently scheduled Scoop the Loop activity on Friday nights. Scooping the Loop, driving around the square and greeting others in their vehicles without having physical contact, is an historical activity that has been revived due to social isolation and distancing required by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Engineer Wade Weiss discussed setting up a system to allow remote programming of the equipment used to stream music over the speakers around the Square.
In other business, supervisor Pete Bardole reported attending a Chamber meeting at which the Bell Tower Festival scheduled for June was postponed, possibly until August.
Chair John Muir said the county has been asked to participate in a Greene County Cares radio ad campaign. The ads would encourage residents to pull together during the COVID-19 pandemic. As they approved other claims for payment, the board unanimously approved the estimated cost of $300. Muir suggested the cost could be covered by Dreyfus funds.
The board was scheduled to consider a resolution to adopt the Carroll, Crawford, Greene, and Sac Counties Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan 2020. Consideration of the resolution was tabled to allow additional time to review documents.
