The City of Crawfordsville joined with Montgomery County to declare a public health emergency Wednesday over the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, giving the mayor special powers to respond to the outbreak.
The declaration comes as the city began staffing the emergency operations center to coordinate the response. No local reports of COVID-19 had been confirmed as of midnight Wednesday. The virus is blamed for two deaths in Indiana.
Under the emergency status, which was approved by the Board of Public Works and Safety, all public city government meetings are canceled until further notice. The state is allowing public agencies to meet by phone during the response.
“Certainly, we’ll make every effort to make sure that that’s accessible to the public so that everyone will understand what’s happening if we have those meetings,” Mayor Todd Barton said. “That will only be for pressing issues related to what’s happening.”
The declaration is nearly identical to Monday’s county government orders, suspending much of the requirements for contracts, purchasing and hiring related to the response. Barton or an appointed designee has the power to approve and submit claims to the clerk-treasurer, in the absence of open Board of Public Works and Safety meetings.
The orders are in effect for seven days unless extended by the board.
City attorney Kent Minnette said it was important to track response-related expenses, which would be reimbursed under federal emergency guidelines.
All city government buildings were already closed to the public as people are urged to follow social distancing. An administrative assistant opened the door of the City Building for department heads, other local leaders and media gathering for the meeting.
Board members were asked to sit farther apart in the meeting chambers. Department leaders who usually sit alongside the board were widely scattered around the public gallery, joined by county administrator Mark Casteel and city councilman Mike Reidy.
