‘Work that’s valuable’: Peters Township employees adjust to COVID-19 situation
Peters Township Council’s meeting Monday included a status report on how municipal staff members are adjusting to life during COVID-19.
“It is not work as normal, but it’s work that’s valuable,” township manager Paul Lauer said. “To the extent that we can, we have people working from home. We have people on modified work schedules, and it really varies from department to department.”
Business does continue as usual with regard to emergency services in the police and fire departments, he told council during the meeting, which is available for viewing through Peters Township Community Television.
“In terms of the fire department, they are working as normal. The chief and the deputy chief are attempting to schedule themselves at different hours so that, in fact, they’re not in contact with each other,” Lauer said.
Employees in other departments have made adjustments.
“I give our workforce a lot of credit,” Lauer said. “They’ve become fairly creative about being able to work from home.”
He gave the example of planning department staffers reviewing plans for a new Home Goods retail store that would open next to ALDI in the former Kmart building at the McDowell Shops on Route 19.
Lauer also referenced the Planning and Inspection Department.
“When the building inspector left, he took all of the permits that have been requested for review home with him,” he said.
“Those permits are all being processed so that, in fact, when the building opens up again, they can all be issued at the same time.”
Assistant planning director has been working remotely with solicitor John Smith and planning director Ed Zuk to draft a new sign ordinance for the township. Zuk continues to work in his office, fielding inquiries.
In the wake of Gov. Tom Wolf’s COVID-19-related shutdown orders, the public works department pretty much is on standby at home, Lauer said.
“One of the things that’s going to change about this is very shortly, the grass is going to start to grow,” he explained. “And one of the things we are permitted to do is maintain the turf, and so we’re going to be doing that.”
In the meantime, the engineering department has continued with tasks such as drafting bid documents for storm- and sanitary-sewer projects, and although the recreation department and library are closed, activities still are taking place online. Lauer cited a library “virtual escape room” with a “Harry Potter” theme that has proved to be popular.
“That has now been accessed by 68,000 people and has been viewed in 17 countries,” he said.
Some township employees, he said, are “not in a position where they can contribute” without being physically present at their jobs, and under the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act, they are to be provided with paid sick leave.
“For those people who are in that kind of category, we’re going to classify that continuation of pay as sick leave, so that the township meets its obligation,” Lauer said about the two weeks starting March 30. “And that obligation doesn’t carry on past that period.”
Council members plan to revisit the situation the next time they meet.
“I think it’s reasonable to assume that we’re not going to be able to do what we’re doing right now forever,” chairman David Ball said, “and we’re going to have to make more permanent decisions on it.”