Monday evening was a time to ask questions and air concerns for Potter County residents, who were invited to a town hall meeting by county officials.
Attendees connected to the group via telephone, and Commissioner Nancy Grupp served as moderator. The meeting focused on the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
To start, the attending officials were given a chance to make a statement, then residents had time to ask questions.
Emergency Management Coordinator Glenn Dunn detailed the steps the county’s emergency services department has taken to keep everyone informed during the coronavirus pandemic, a process which started around the beginning of March.
In addition to the routine 911 and EMA activities, there are now daily reports on coronavirus news. He is working with agencies including the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, regional task forces, local hospitals and officials from neighboring counties.
“Our largest challenge so far was (obtaining) the PPE (personal protective equipment) needed,” Dunn said, explaining that PPE was needed for emergency medical responders, police, firefighters, human services, the county and the jail.
Similarly, two representatives of UPMC explained they have looked through their inventory and have worked with several agencies and organizations to prepare for any influx of patients. They meet every day at 4 p.m. for an update.
Among the preparations was working on the telehealth capabilities so patients don’t have to come in, as well as making sure there would be staff available. At UPMC Cole, they have set up tents outside to vet patients.
UPMC has a plan to care for more patients if there is a surge, which can include expanding to buildings such as the wellness center, or even putting beds in other places in town such as the Gunzburger building or a local church.
At Potter County CareerLink, employees have been working from home since March, said Mary Jo Stuckey. While they are not the agency that handles unemployment compensation, they have been directing people to whom they need to talk to, as well as working as a resource for employees and employers.
Jim Kockler, director of Potter County Human Services, said they are still “up and running,” with only one program shut down — the senior centers — to ensure the “most vulnerable population remains safe.” They are still providing daily meals for senior center participants.
Most staff members are working from home, with the exception of directors and supervisors, and staff can be reached by phone, Kockler explained. Staff members are calling consumers at least twice a week to check on them and still addressing any crises.
About 20 human service staff members are laid off, he said, noting that this will help to save the county money.
There is a community helpline run through the Dickinson Center that Potter County residents can call if they need help with food or support of any kind during the pandemic: 814-776-0205.
For his part, Commissioner Barry Hayman said the commissioners have been talking about holding town hall meetings even before the pandemic arose. Hayman acknowledged that a telephone town hall, while “not ideal circumstances,” is the “new normal.”
Potter County officials are keeping the public apprised of the ongoing changes at seven days a week, often multiple times a day, at pottercountypa.net, said Commissioner Paul Heimel. There are a number of online resources, too, including online county services.
Heimel noted that Congress will vote on a successor to the CARES Act — the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act — and he is worried the county will lose $1.4 million in funding that was proposed for the county.
Heimel talked about the seriousness of both the COVID-19 pandemic itself and the economic blow to local businesses.
He “sees a false sense of security” from county residents due to the low number of confirmed cases that the state Department of Health reports. “Statistics can be very deceiving,” he said. “We are anything but out of the woods.”
At the same time, Heimel is learning through a local business survey that a large number say they will never reopen.
“That is a shocking development and a very deep concern,” he said. “They are our lifeblood,” he said of local businesses.
Commissioners are asking that business owners go to the Potter County Community Development Facebook page to take the survey, as it will help them gather statistics that they can pass along to state legislators.
