Quitman extends emergency order

By Larry Tucker
editor@wood.cm
Posted 4/2/20

The Quitman City Council held a special meeting Thursday evening via teleconference and approved continuing the declaration of local disaster for a public health emergency.

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Quitman extends emergency order

Posted

The Quitman City Council held a special meeting Thursday evening via teleconference and approved continuing the declaration of local disaster for a public health emergency.

City Administrator Rodney Kieke said, “A mayor can declare for municipalities and it is only good for seven days. The county judge declared the disaster on the 20th (March) and it was done for our city on March 23. And I would like to make a recommendation that we do the same thing, a continuance to that declaration and it will coincide with the governor’s declaration that he declared on the 13th of March. This will make ours coincide with that declaration. What the declaration does for us is it gives us access to receive reimbursement for any expenses we may incur during this time. It also gives the mayor authority if things get out of hand or if we need to do something special in the city. It allows the mayor to make those adjustments.” 

Mayor Randy Dunn said the governor still has not recommended a shelter-in-place.

“This disaster declaration goes along with the original declaration and lets us coincide with the county and the state. We will coincide with whatever the state is doing,” Dunn explained. 

The council also unanimously approved moving the May 2 general election for the city council to Nov. 3. It will coincide with the Quitman ISD school board election.

Incumbents Susan Resnik, Jack Robinson and J.R. Evans and challenger Steve Glenn are on the ballot for three alderman positions. In the QISD election, incumbents Jane Herring and Raymond Peek and challenger Vanessa Simpkins are seeking two seats.

Dunn has spoken to QISD Superintendent Rhonda Turner about the election dates.

“This gives us a uniform election date,” he said. “This is something the governor had offered to each entity, and after meeting with the school superintendent, it would just be much more possible for them. They don’t know for sure about students coming back and it just makes it much better if we move it to that.” 

Before adjourning, Kieke said, “We have limited city hall as far as public interaction, closing both the lobby and the drive-through. We have enacted a way to take credit card payments on the phone. Now if somebody needs to make a payment, they can call us, can go online, they can drop it in the drop box or they can mail their payment. There are signs on the door and the drive-through, that if somebody needs to make an appointment they can give us a call and we can make an exception for that. We are trying to follow the lead of the state and limiting exposure.” 

In closing, Dunn said, “We encourage people just don’t be at risk for spreading germs or receiving germs.”