Friday, March 29, 2024
45.0°F

Bill would allow continuity of operations for county offices amid public crises

by Angelica Relente, Herald Legislative Writer
| February 12, 2021 1:00 AM

Working from home may be the “new normal” for many employees in the nation, but for some, it may not be the most ideal situation.

Kimberly Allen, court clerk for Grant County, said although courtroom hearings have been held remotely, members of her office staff have been physically present at the Grant County Superior Court.

“If we couldn’t have been in the office, I think we would have been a little more stressed just because our workload is so great,” Allen said.

Physically working at the courthouse may be preferable, Allen said. But legislation like House Bill 1271 would allow local county officials like her to have more flexibility when it comes to courthouse operations.

HB 1271 would ensure county offices can continue operations during the COVID-19 pandemic and other future public health crises. Rep. Tina Orwall, D-Des Moines, is the bill’s prime sponsor. Rep. Keith Goehner, R-Dryden, a Columbia Basin legislator, is a co-sponsor on the bill.

HB 1271 would allow court clerks and county assessors to attend proceedings virtually and remove the requirement for physical attendance, according to the bill’s text.

Allen said her team had to quickly adapt to COVID-19 safety precautions when it hit the state. In March 2020, her office had to operate on a scheduled basis, rotating through three groups of six people with one group in the office per week.

“We still have paper court files, so we still had to be present,” Allen said. “It was challenging at times, but I feel like our office handled it fairly well.”

Allen said the staff members use an app called Webex for court hearings, which has been working well. The app works like Zoom.

Goehner said HB 1271 would benefit local governments as it will allow them to continue what they have been doing amid the pandemic. The bill would be applicable for times when there is a declared emergency.

Bills like HB 1271 are the result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Goehner said. Another positive thing the bill will allow is online auctions.

Property auctions are usually held at the front door of a county courthouse, according to the bill’s text. HB 1271 would allow auctions over electronic media instead. Notice of the sale must be posted online at least four weeks before the day of the sale.

“That will be good for local governments,” Goehner said. “More people could be interested (and) engaged in those and generate more revenue for the local governments.”

HB 1271 would also allow county auditors to post documents online to fulfill public document inspection requirements, according to the bill’s text. The bill would add coroners and medical examiners to the Emergency Management Council as well.

Representatives had not voted on HB 1271 as of Tuesday.

photo

Casey McCarthy/Columbia Basin Herald

Grant County court clerk Kimberly Allen looks toward traffic passing by as she stands outside the Grant County Courthouse on Thursday afternoon.