Columbus City Council members suspended the rules to pass an amendment to the city’s salary ordinance allowing the city to pay part-time and full-time city employees working at a city facility or from home while the state remains under an emergency declaration about coronavirus concerns.
All city council members voted for the ordinance, with the exception of Councilman Dave Bush, who was absent.
The council conducted the meeting under a new executive order issued by Gov. Eric Holcomb on Tuesday which allows public boards to meet virtually as long as one member is at the meeting site and the others are present through the internet.
At Tuesday’s meeting, which concluded at about 6:20 p.m., City Councilman Tom Dell was the council member at city hall at the meeting, which included Columbus Mayor Jim Lienhoop, City Clerk-Treasurer LuAnn Welmer and City Attorney Alan Whitted.
Mary K. Ferdon, executive director of administration and community development, explained to council members explaining the large number of city employees who were providing essential services to the city, including police and firefighters, Animal Care Services, the city utilities, parks and transit along with the Department of Public Works.
Dell questioned the city’s decision to suspend city bus service today, saying there are many people who rely on bus service to get to and from work and their jobs might be in jeopardy by the move.
Ferdon explained that federal Department of Transportation guidelines about the coronavirus indicated it would be dangerous to drivers and passengers in the small enclosed space of a bus in light of the pandemic and the decision was made to avoid transmission on the city’s bus system.
The city is continuing to offer the call-a-bus service for those who need emergency transportation for medical needs, with Ferdon explaining that those services are remaining in place to help the most vulnerable in the community.
For more on this story, see an upcoming edition of The Republic.
