TASK FORCE SETS PRIORITIES

Ruffles To Lead

County Response

To Corona Threat

COOPERSTOWN – County Treasurer Allen Ruffles has been appointed to chair the task force that county board Chairman Dave Bliss convened this morning to implement the response to the coronavirus threat.

The task force identified the following components that need to be addressed:

• Employee safety in the field – meeting state mandates and best practices. Limiting exposure at work
• Potential changes to work schedules and related labor issues
• Procurement of material necessary to allow for work to go on
• Information – establish a process to disburse information to the public in a clear and meaningful fashion
• Financial issues and planning
• Public Health – How to establish best practices and carry out the work necessary to keep the public safe and well informed
• Public Safety

The meeting which convened at 10 a.m. included department heads across the range of county services, according to a press release received a few minutes ago.

The groups is tasked with recommending and implementing procedures to allow the county to best assist and keep safe the county workforce in these challenging times, and how to best provide safe delivery of the services that the county provides, according to the statement.

Ruffles’ role will be to chair and coordinate the work of this task force to establish work groups to recommend and implement strategies to do the work of the county in a safe and productive way.

In the coming days, county leadership will be working with partners, both public and private, within the county to share information, provide support and work together to meet the task of keeping our residents safe and our services delivered in a uniquely challenging environment, the statement said.

Decisions will be made in the best interests of our workforce and County residents.  The county will be guided by protocols set forth by the state Department of Health and Center for Disease Control, which are subject to frequent updates and changes.