Alva Review-Courier -

Monday's Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday caused the Alfalfa County commissioners to meet on Tuesday instead of their usual Monday. Marvin Woodall, Jay Hague and Mike Roach began by addressing the routine business items – last meeting's minutes, maintenance and operation warrants for payment, and blanket purchase orders. The monthly officer reports and court clerk records management and preservation monthly reports were also approved. There were no road-crossing permits for the week.

Following those approvals, the three men accepted a private property easement in District 2 for NW 22-26-11 to clean out, fill, and shape for better water flow.

Next, the group went over the amended Covid-19 guidelines for Alfalfa County. Though the changes are subject to legislative changes, the guidelines signed into effect for Covid-19 exposure and/or symptoms are:

1. The quarantine period is seven days if a Covid-19 test is taken on day five–seven of quarantine and the result is negative. A copy of the test results or a signed doctor's release must be provided to the county.

2. The quarantine period is 10 days if no test is taken.

3. If a positive test occurs, the employee must quarantine for 14 days.

Covid-19 FMLA expired as of Dec. 31, 2020, resulting in the commissioners to adopt a new policy. They decided to pay a county employee for 10 days of work, one-time, should the employee (or employee's household member) contract Covid-19 or be exposed to it and need to quarantine. The total is for 10 days only, even if the employee chooses to use that time for a household member. For example, if the employee quarantines for six days and then returns to work with a negative test, that employee will have four days remaining if another occurrence arises. These guidelines are at the disclosure of and must be authorized by that employee's supervisor/elected official.

After signing those amendments and policy into effect, the three men signed to accept a bid from Rigor Welding, totaling $116,100, for an enclosure for a grader shed and wash bay. The last thing on the agenda was the annual jail inspection. Judge Loren Angle met the group downstairs for the inspection tour given by deputy sheriff Vernon Sanders. Sanders pointed out three issues he would like to see addressed, all three on the male inmate's side. One was a leaky sink, another some issues with the stainless steel in the shower, and patchwork needed on an expanded metal window covering. Woodall said the commissioners were meeting with Tony Heller later in the afternoon. Heller does the maintenance work for the courthouse.