The Greenbrier County Commission met for the first time in 2021 on the morning of Tuesday, Jan. 12.
The first point of business on the agenda was electing a commission president for the new year. The commission opened the meeting by calling for nominees and Tammy Tincher put forth the name of current President Lowell Rose.
Commissioner Michael McClung then said, “It has been the custom of this body to elect as its president that commissioner who was in the last year of his current term. [ ] I have honored that custom with my vote for nine years, I suppose. I see no reason why we should break with that custom.”
Rose was elected to serve another year as commission president by a two to one vote. Although McClung did not put forth a nominee for consideration, he represented the sole nay-vote.
The next decision made by the commission was to leave the meeting schedule and courthouse operating hours the same as they had been in 2020, followed by a unanimous vote for committee-members to maintain their current assignments.
In a piece of old business, the commission discussed the implementation of an updated COVID-19 policy for county employees. The most recent CARES Act, which passed last month, no longer provides funding for county employees required to quarantine after testing positive for the virus. Tincher moved that the county continue to afford those employees 14-days (80 hours) of uninterrupted paycheck-protection while in quarantine.
“We do not want them [employees] to feel like they have to come to work if they have COVID because they don’t have sick leave available to use,” Tincher said.
When it was suggested that employees be encouraged to be vaccinated against the virus once the vaccine becomes widely available, Rose said, “that’s a personal choice if they want the vaccine. Personally, I went and got my first round yesterday. It’s been 24 hours and I feel fine. But that’s a personal choice.”
The commission voted unanimously to approve Tincher’s motion.
Greenbrier County Sheriff Bruce Sloan then presented his selection for the newly created and grant-funded county position of victim advocate.
“We’re really fortunate that we had several applications from some very qualified individuals for the position,” Sloan said. “After doing all the interviews and talking with everyone, I’d like to recommend Emily Yates for the position of Victim Advocate.”
The commission again voted unanimously to approve Yate’s hiring.
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