The city of Columbus and Bartholomew County are entering into a memorandum of understanding about payment for expenses to fund the COVID-19 Community Task Force.
The task force was announced to the public in March, a combination of city and county agencies working together to inform and protect the public as the COVID-19 pandemic intensified, leading to the stay-at-home directives from the state and many public buildings around the city closing.
The task force consists of representatives from the city, the county, the Bartholomew County Health Department, Columbus Regional Hospital, Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp., Bartholomew County Emergency Management and other community agencies.
“As part of that task force, we also have been doing a lot of communication for the community including putting together a website, podcasts, public service announcements and constant press releases,” said Mary Ferdon, Columbus executive director of administration and community development, during a Tuesday Board of Works meeting at Columbus City Hall.
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“And so, there obviously is a cost to doing that. The task force is using TD Advertising as a vendor for this project. And so the first cost for April and May came in at a little bit under $25,000," she said.
The memorandum states that the initial cost will be split between the city and county.
“And then the city agrees to pay for any future costs,” Ferdon said. “However, we’ve since learned that money allocated by the state of Indiana through the CARES Act will cover this, so our portion will eventually be covered.”
The COVID-19 Community Task Force website includes data about COVID-19 statistics including number of positive tests, number of negative and pending tests, and the number of deaths in Bartholomew County. Information is also offered with Spanish translation.
Video updates from task force officials, including Mayor Jim Lienhoop, are also on the site.
The website also includes a list of community and state resources for the pandemic, frequently asked questions and a summary of Gov. Eric Holcomb’s Back on Track plan to reopen Indiana’s economy in phases as the pandemic response continues.
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To learn more, visit the task force website at https://covid19communitytaskforce.org/.
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