Since the WIC office in Marshall County operates outside of normal county hours three days a week, Director Evelyn Shields asked if their office could be considered when county government may need to close for any reason.
Shields told the Marshall County Commissioners last week that county government closed for two days after the last part of January and because WIC operates on different hours three times a week, she asked for direction when it comes to that action.
“We had inclement weather coming in that Tuesday evening and I found myself in a really unique, and I think rare, position of having to decide what to do with my staff,” said Shields. “The closings considered are non-essential services which the rest of the county is on an 8-4 schedule. WIC, I don’t think, was considered in that because we’re still in the office until 7 p.m.”
Going forward, Shields asked that any closure be issued by hour instead of days so the WIC office could be included since the hours are outside the rest of the county operation which is required by the Indiana State Department Health.
No decisions were made last week, but the commissioners took it under consideration.
Additionally, Shields said she sent her staff home two hours early that Tuesday ahead of the arctic blast. Shields asked that her staff be paid for the two hours missed for closing early. Commissioner Kevin Overmyer said the declaration to close county government buildings wasn’t made until Wednesday and Thursday. He said he wasn’t sure that the county could pay those two hours since it was outside the declaration. County Attorney Jim Clevenger said the county can’t pay it after the fact.
The WIC employees were paid for Wednesday and Thursday when the declaration was in effect.
