FAIRMONT — Martin County Commissioners considered modifying the board-approved county response to the Covid-19 pandemic guidance and directives on Tuesday. The board approved allowing county employees to travel for training and meetings without requiring masks after some discussion on the issue.

“Particularly we’re looking at the mask issue and the employee travel for training meetings,” said County Coordinator Scott Higgins. The request is to open those up if the board so chooses for in-person meetings and conferences. I’ve talked with the department heads and there’s a number of conferences in June and the board has some too, and then there’s the mask mandate.

“We’re specifically talking about allowing employees to attend training and meetings, which we kind of rescinded the ability to do that,” said Commissioner Elliot Belgard. “But they can do that in person now or still do it virtually if they want to. The personnel committee decided it was time to loosen up, but I think we did have in there that they would need to be vaccinated.”

Belgard asked County Attorney Terry Viesselman if the board was able to require employees to show proof of vaccination to allow them to attend. Viesselman replied that he believed the board could require such measures if they chose to do so.

“Terry obviously knows more than I do, but I don’t think you can ask for that card,” said Commissioner Steve Flohrs. “You just have to go along with what the CDC says and they said if you’re not vaccinated you wear a mask. It’s all on the honor system.”

“The CDC came out with their new recommendation which was that if you’ve been vaccinated you don’t need to wear a mask. That’s not an order, it’s just a recommendation. Then the Governor followed it up with a new executive order where he basically rescinded his previous executive order requiring anyone in the state, whether you’re vaccinated or not, to wear a mask indoors or outdoors, except you still have to comply with any CDC orders.

“The Governor’s order did also say that private businesses and political subdivisions are permitted to continue with their own mask restrictions if they wish. Minneapolis and St. Paul are continuing with their mask restrictions because there’s so many people there.

So the county can continue to have their people wear masks or you as a board could no longer require that. The numbers are dropping. But none of the employees have a right, as a county employee, to go to those trainings.” Viesselman also pointed out that the board is currently able to continue with remote meetings.

County Commissioner Richard Koons stated that he believed it would violate HIPPA standards if employees were asked to show proof of vaccination, and the board passed the motion allowing employees to travel without masks.

The board also chose to continue requiring the public to wear masks in the courthouse for another two weeks while waiting to see what the court system does.

In other news, the board heard from Martin County Sheriff Jeff Markquart, who presented an update on food service for the Martin County Jail. The board approved a motion authorizing the Martin County Sheriff’s office to enter into a temporary contract with Lakeview Methodist Health Services to provide the meals.

Hy-Vee of Fairmont recently canceled a food service contract with the jail effective May 31, 2021. Hy-Vee gave a 30-day notice as agreed on in the original contract, but county officials found that to be a limiting time frame to procure new services.

The Sheriff’s Office was then contacted by Lakeview Methodist Health Services, and both parties agreed to enter into a temporary contract for three months to assess how the situation would work for both entities.

Lakeview has agreed to provide three meals per day, seven days per week for a cost of $13.00 per day. Meal selection will meet the Department of Corrections requirements, and the proposed new contract will cost less than the contract currently ending. The Sheriff’s Office will be required to provide the meal trays as well as pick up the meals.

“In our contract that we have, either party can give 30 days’ notice the way it’s written today,” said Markquart. ” In going forward when we get this all squared away we should look at that again and see about making it 60 or 90 days because 30 days, we found out, is not enough to check out all of our options and put a contract together.”