Northfield officials outline COVID-19 expense tracking and employee leave guidance

Fire Chief Jason Buss told the Village Council that Ohio was declared a FEMA disaster area on March 13, 2020 and that the Village has been assigned tracking number EM2457. Chief Buss asked department heads to record expenditures tied to the COVID-19 response and offered to compile those entries into a master spreadsheet for later FEMA claim submission. "If everyone tracks the expenses when they occur, it will be easier to submit the claim when the time comes rather than trying to remember and recreate the information a year from now," he said.

Chief Buss listed examples of eligible expenses recorded in the meeting: extra shifts for employees, gloves, cleaning supplies, disinfectants, and software needed to hold the video council meeting. He also reminded council members and staff to complete FEMA NIMS 100/700 training online and agreed to email access information to council members when requested.

Law Director Brad Bryan explained recent federal changes affecting leave during the emergency. He said the Families First Act passed by the U.S. Congress provided modified FMLA rules: employees who requested FMLA could receive two weeks of full pay followed by up to an additional 10 weeks at two-thirds pay under the emergency provisions, and he noted "the new FMLA rules are not applicable to first responders." Bryan also noted that Mayor's Court sessions are suspended through June, and that those cases have been continued.

Police Chief John Zolgus reported that he had emailed his department report to council and thanked Mayor Jesse Nehez for permitting resources to sanitize the police station and department vehicles during the state of emergency.