Martin County Board of Commissioners votes 3-2 to reopen Governmental Center with limits

The Martin County Board of Commissioners voted 3-2 on May 8 to reopen the Martin County Governmental Center on May 11 with controlled public access and several safety measures in place.

County Manager David Bone outlined the plan during a special called session, saying he had originally limited public access by administrative decision on March 26 and sought the board's blessing to ease those restrictions under Governor Roy Cooper's Phase One guidance. The plan calls for appointment-based access when possible, plexiglass barriers at customer-facing counters, handwashing stations and sanitizer outside each entrance, and officers stationed at entry points to control the number of people admitted to departments at any time.

Public Health Director Wes Gray, participating remotely, told the board that symptomatic testing was available through MTW-district providers and that "the tests take approximately 24–48 hours for results." Gray recommended that a worker who tests positive be sent home along with close contacts for quarantine and that affected areas be deep-cleaned rather than shutting down an entire office.

Commissioner Ronnie Smith asked for testing totals. Gray said the Health Department had tested 48 people directly and that at least 148 people in Martin County had been tested overall, but noted reporting of test administration had been curtailed and some provider reports included results from outside Martin County. County Manager Bone said he had the administrative authority to change access but preferred to obtain the commission's support for the planned, limited reopening.

Sheriff Tim Manning described operational controls to reduce crowding: utilizing court schedules to anticipate traffic, stationing officers at each entrance, designating separate doors for entry and exit, and marking outdoor queue points six feet apart. Public Works Director Justin Harrison had worked to install plexiglass shields in offices that interact with the public.

Vice Chairman Dempsey Bond Jr. expressed concern about staff safety and the risk of people traveling from surrounding counties to use services such as the License Plate Agency. The board discussed mask use; the county will encourage masks and provide them to staff who choose to wear them, but it will not mandate mask-wearing for employees or the public under the plan presented.

Commissioner Joe R. Ayers moved to reopen the courthouse under the measures discussed; Commissioner Elmo "Butch" Lilley seconded. The motion carried 3-2. According to the roll call recorded at the meeting, Commissioners Tommy Bowen, Elmo Lilley and Joe R. Ayers voted in favor; Vice Chairman Dempsey Bond Jr. and Commissioner Ronnie Smith voted against. Reopening was set to begin Monday, May 11, 2020. Courts were noted as due to resume June 1, 2020, and Clerk of Court Tonya Leggett had advocated resuming certain courthouse services earlier to reduce a backlog when courts reopen.

The board adjourned at 3:36 p.m.; the next scheduled meeting was May 13, 2020, to be conducted electronically.