The Crawfordsville City Council voted in a special remote meeting Thursday to acknowledge and approve the citywide public health emergency that was declared March 17.
The order, which activates emergency powers for managing the city’s coronavirus (COVID-19) response and the daily business of the city, will remain in effect indefinitely.
“I can assure you the very moment I can rescind this I will because it’s a lot to have on the plate,” Mayor Todd Barton said in response to a question from city councilman Ethan Hollander about an expiration date for the order.
“So, we just don’t know, and my goal is to keep the council and all the boards as informed as possible moving through this,” Barton added, “but sometimes there are literally things that need to happen that day. This just streamlines the process. So I know that’s a kind of open-ended answer, but we just don’t right now what the timeline looks like.”
Following a similar declaration by the county March 16, the Crawfordsville Board of Public Works and Safety approved Barton’s declaration of a local disaster emergency under state law.
The emergency order temporarily waives the normal procedures for the performance of work and entering into contracts.
Rules are also suspended for hiring temporary and permanent workers; using volunteers; purchasing and distributing supplies, materials and facilities; and allocating and spending public funds.
With all public government meetings canceled during the emergency, Barton or an appointed designee has the power to approve and submit claims to the clerk-treasurer.
Acting within the county’s emergency operations plan, Barton also has the authority to enter into a contract or lease with the state, accept any loan or employ personnel. The county may equip and maintain any property and hire personnel under the contract.
“I think it’s important the legislative body has the power to make declarations of public policy, speaking for all those people you represent in each of your districts,” city attorney Kent Minnette said by speaker phone, “so the mayor has the authority on his own, but he’s asking for your approval of this action so that it shows that everybody’s getting together to work on this crisis.”
All seven council members called in by phone as Barton and clerk-treasurer Terri Gadd listened from a conference room in the City Building. The meeting was open to the public.
The council adopted a policy allowing remote participation in city government meetings. The public, up to a certain number of users, will be allowed to attend and submit comments electronically.
“There’s really no way under the social distancing piece to pull everyone together [in person],” Barton said.
