Temporary quarters for county supervisors

OCONTO — Holy Trinity Parish Hall will serve as the meeting place for the Oconto County Board for at least two more months, county officials said May 21.

Supervisors were seated at folding tables in a room that allowed officials, staff and the general public to provide at least 6 feet of space between everyone. Many people wore masks as recommended by some health officials.

The quarters were spacious in comparison with the County Board chambers at the courthouse down the street, where the board is seated side by side and spectators bunch together in church-style pews.

The church is permitting the board to use its facility for the months of May through July at least, County Board Chairman Paul Bednarik said.

Administrative Coordinator Kevin Hamann will distribute draft guidelines for reopening the courthouse to the general public on Thursday, May 28. Under Gov. Tony Evers’ Safer at Home executive order the courthouse has been closed since March 24, and county staff have been interacting with the public online, over the phone or by mail.

Departments were asked to develop social distancing plans to maintain 6-foot social distancing. Key factors for consideration are physical workspace modifications and limiting in-person interaction and physical contact.

The state was reporting 34 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Oconto County as of Tuesday, with 18 reported in the southeastern census tract that includes the towns of Little Suamico, Chase and Morgan, and the rest scattered around the county. The other census tracts all had between zero and four positive tests.

The Forest County census tract along the northern border of Oconto County showed between five and 10 cases as of Tuesday.

wbluhm@newmedia-wi.com