Leesburg Gives Clerk-Treasurer Additional Authority
April 4, 2020 at 2:49 a.m.
By Jackie [email protected]
“The state of Indiana has executed an executive order relating to the continuity of operations of government,” said town council President Doug Jones.
The town council waived reading of the resolution the town attorney drafted up.
The resolution allows the town of Leesburg to authorize Clerk-Treasurer Michael Searfoss to modify the hours town hall is open to the public and the work hours of himself and employees under his direct supervision. It authorizes Searfoss to pay all routine claims and obligations without prior approval of the town board, including such things as insurance payments, employee salaries and utility payments – which will be approved by the town council at the first regular meeting “after the public health emergency has ended. The regular town council meeting for April was cancelled.
The resolution also says Jones may schedule special meetings or executive sessions of the town council if he doesn’t think such meetings would constitute a risk to the council, employees or the general public.
All town employees will receive regular, full-time pay or part-time pay as approved before the COVID-19 emergency for the employees’ normal work week, even if their hours have been reduced.
The resolution authorizes Searfoss to take “any other steps to conduct minimally required business of the town, as advised by the town attorney.”
The second resolution that was passed had to do with relief for local bars, restaurants and churches as far as their sewer rate.
Their rate will be effective March 16 and a daily rate will be based on the business’s daily rate minus $73 divided by 30 days.
Jones said this will give businesses some relief from when the restrictions started on March 16 until the restrictions are lifted and the businesses are able to reopen.
The motion originally did not include the two churches in town. Councilwoman Christina Archer made a request to have them added because they are not meeting in any function at all.
Councilman Tom Moore said the churches’ sewer bills are not based on the same mathematical equation as bars and restaurants.
“Churches are not being charged $17 a day per person in a pew,” Moore said.
Jones said churches are charged more than a normal household, saying it is based on a certain number of gallons per seat, but he wasn’t sure what that number exactly was. After hearing that, Moore said he had no problem including the churches in the resolution.
“The state of Indiana has executed an executive order relating to the continuity of operations of government,” said town council President Doug Jones.
The town council waived reading of the resolution the town attorney drafted up.
The resolution allows the town of Leesburg to authorize Clerk-Treasurer Michael Searfoss to modify the hours town hall is open to the public and the work hours of himself and employees under his direct supervision. It authorizes Searfoss to pay all routine claims and obligations without prior approval of the town board, including such things as insurance payments, employee salaries and utility payments – which will be approved by the town council at the first regular meeting “after the public health emergency has ended. The regular town council meeting for April was cancelled.
The resolution also says Jones may schedule special meetings or executive sessions of the town council if he doesn’t think such meetings would constitute a risk to the council, employees or the general public.
All town employees will receive regular, full-time pay or part-time pay as approved before the COVID-19 emergency for the employees’ normal work week, even if their hours have been reduced.
The resolution authorizes Searfoss to take “any other steps to conduct minimally required business of the town, as advised by the town attorney.”
The second resolution that was passed had to do with relief for local bars, restaurants and churches as far as their sewer rate.
Their rate will be effective March 16 and a daily rate will be based on the business’s daily rate minus $73 divided by 30 days.
Jones said this will give businesses some relief from when the restrictions started on March 16 until the restrictions are lifted and the businesses are able to reopen.
The motion originally did not include the two churches in town. Councilwoman Christina Archer made a request to have them added because they are not meeting in any function at all.
Councilman Tom Moore said the churches’ sewer bills are not based on the same mathematical equation as bars and restaurants.
“Churches are not being charged $17 a day per person in a pew,” Moore said.
Jones said churches are charged more than a normal household, saying it is based on a certain number of gallons per seat, but he wasn’t sure what that number exactly was. After hearing that, Moore said he had no problem including the churches in the resolution.
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