Supervisors vote to close most county facilities during special meeting

GRUNDY CENTER- During a special meeting held last Thursday morning, the Grundy County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to close most county facilities indefinitely in response to the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak.

To allow for optimal “social distancing,” the board convened in the courtroom on the third floor of the courthouse with several department heads also present. No official virus-related actions were taken during Monday morning’s regular meeting, but officials began to limit visitors after Governor Kim Reynolds recommended closing schools, restaurants and bars and discouraging large gatherings.

“I feel like we’re a little bit behind the curve on this, and I take personal responsibility for that,” Board Chairwoman Barb Smith said.

A motion to close all county facilities with the exception of the sheriff’s office, emergency management, the jail and public health, effective at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, March 19, passed by a 4-0 vote (Chuck Bakker was absent). The Clerk of Court’s office, which is administered by the state, will also continue to operate with slight modifications.

Some department heads shared concerns about being able to continue their work during the shutdown, and County Auditor Rhonda Deters noted that staff will still be present at the courthouse working and conducting county business.

“I don’t want to be the reason that real estate comes to a grinding halt in Grundy County,” County Recorder Travis Case said.

Currently, there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Grundy County, but earlier this week, an individual in neighboring Black Hawk County tested positive for the virus.

The board will still hold its regularly scheduled meeting on Monday morning in the courtroom to approve its budget for the upcoming fiscal year.