In a rare Monday morning special session, Scurry County commissioners extended the county’s declaration of disaster issued March 16.
“The disaster declaration that I made last Monday was only good for seven days. Today was the seventh day,” county judge Dan Hicks said following the meeting.
Hicks said the extension will prolong the county’s disaster declaration for a month.
“It’s extended through the 23rd of April,” Hicks said. “That’s the main reason (for the special meeting). We didn’t add anything to it, we just extended it. We didn’t add any shelter in place, or any kind of closings, requiring any further closings. We’re basically relying on the state’s disaster declaration as far as closings and all of that.”
In other business, the commissioners amended the county’s personnel policy regarding emergency event pay.
“It’s basically giving release to employees so they don’t have to worry about it. If they need to take sick time or vacation time, basically, if they need to be off during this period, we’re basically covering them,” Hicks said. “They’re still going to get paid. It won’t go against their sick time or their vacation time. That’s if they are 60 or over, or they’re sick, or they have to take care of a family member, or they have to take care of children or something. It lays it all out pretty good.”
Additionally, the county will allow salaried employees to earn overtime pay during the crisis.
Hicks said the new measure expands an existing policy which previously applied to employees in the emergency operations center.
“They will basically go to hourly during the emergency, and they will be able to be paid overtime during that time period,” Hicks said. “That was already in there, but it said they had to be in the emergency operations center to be paid hourly. We changed it to when there’s a declared emergency, they will be able to go to hourly.”
Hicks also announced two county office closures.
“The tax office is closed to the public, and as of (Tuesday), the treasurer’s office will be closed to the public,” he said. “Hermleigh Water customers make their water payments to the treasurer’s office. They can either mail in a check or money order. They don’t want them to send cash. And for the time being, we are not going to do any water cutoffs at Hermleigh Water Works.”
Commissioners approved one line item transfer during the meeting.
The Precinct 3 Road and Bridge department transferred $10,118 from fuel and oil to capital outlay. The transfer was for the purchase of a Gator utility vehicle.
Commissioners also approved $122,614 in accounts payable.
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