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   First some observations.
   We've set thru 25 years of public meetings. Some went without merit while others went ape shirt crazy. During one public hearing the crowd was so agitated, a guy yelled out, I've got a new rope in my truck!!   During another, the Top Badge was called in to separate an attendee from a Commissioner. Adding to the mix, years back, a Green Shirt was called in to remove the Ace Cub Reporter.
   On March 20th the Clay County Commission called an emergency meeting to handle the problems with the approaching Corona beer bug coming our way. All elected officials and some CCC appointed leaders were asked to attend.
   Hands down, bar none, it was the worst run, organized, productive, meeting we've ever experienced in our 25 years of reporting on Clayberry. During the entire one hour and thirteen minute gathering, there was nothing but confusions brought on by surface level rifts and talking over each other.
The center problem was the County Commission itself. Instead of being the spark plug to handle serious issues coming our direction.... Commissioner Fran King was in a battle with the Sheriff. Commission Prez Greg Fitzwater did nothing to control, lead, the dialogue. Commissioner Connie Kinder was mostly silent and did not do anything to get the meeting back in order.
Great big frowney faces to all three on the CCC.

Now for the nuts and bolts. Upon entering, instead of sitting on the back pew side by side, all knew, or were told to be 6 feet apart. All did but Prosecutor Jim Sample who remained standing and just outside the CCC room, in the hallway.
By the 10 am start time, Fran had her pie hole running about 73 1/2 miles per hour and going in three directions
Wedging in between the conversations, Greg Fitzwater announced a recent directive from the Governor which provided for changes in each Courthouse in the state. Changes could include closures and staffing changes. Exceptions include, the Courthouse has to be available to Badges and those being drug in the door for their transgressions.
Health Department Angela Brown provided: there are five active Corona cases at that time, strong precautions need to be taken on Commission properties, everything from cleaning door knobs, postponing public hearings and such
Fran King started in on some church asking advice on holding a planned revival
During those mentions, from the peanut gallery came, do you have testing kits especially those rapid response test kits. Answer: There are no rapid response kits available. All tests performed came back negative except for one which was still pending at the time of the meeting.
One employer had called wanting all employees tested. The answer to that request was No.
Angela, "It's likely to creep in". Greg Fitzwater, "It's coming our way."

Magistrate Jeff Boggs advised, the only hearings he plans to have are those mandated by law, stuff like domestic cases and preliminary hearings, also mandated by law.
   As Director Brown was talking about 14 day isolations, Fran was rolling again on the need to post door signs telling people to stay away if they're feeling sick. Note: That suggestion came up two weeks prior but no one was listening back then.
   The conversation (s) turned to being fair to employees when it comes to extending time off by using sick leave and vacation days.
   There came the Top Badge questioning whether those off days would be paid or unpaid? With that raging, another one started over an employee already off work due to a family member being sick.
   Ms King went deeper with certain conditions on the special time off with caps (15 days) to be applied.
   Somewhere in the mix, the time plan had already been agreed to by many counties already
   According to the Sheriff, DHHR is already working from home.
   When another conversation emerged about closing the while enchilada down, Jim Samples, " Can't close it down... That's not an option."
Seeming pretty iron clad, up front, the words kept rolling about a total closure, keeping the public away. Fran was leading that charge. Didn't take long for the Sheriff to enter into the fray: We took in $12,000 yesterday.
   From the other side of the room, Clerk Workman commented on a run on marriage licenses in her office.
   As a note readers, already posted on the Assessor's glass door, a couple signs that amounted to, don't come in here taxpayers, use the phone!
King came up with posting a thermometer armed Deputy out front to check temperatures. the Health Director suggested: it needs to be a health official. The Top Badge wondered how he could spare a Badge. Connie Kinder, "The world is changing hourly..."
Somewhere in the multiple conversations raging and after a couple attempts to get something started, County Clerk Workman suggested something unheard of. Common sense Workman, Why don't you just follow the agenda!

With Fran stomping her wittle feets cause she didn't get her way, she refused to make a motion or second a motion on allowing flexible use of employee sick and vacation time. It seemed she was ready to start singing the old campfire song, Nobody loves me, I'm going to go eat worms.
Cutting this short and not really knowing what was really decided...
We think employees will be able to use their saved up sick and vacation leave back to back; a Black Shirt will be stationed at the front door of the Courthouse to test temperatures; the back door will be locked shut; and Courthouse will remain open for now; instead of being a hang out for Badges, the 911 Dispatch Center will be locked down with those guys left out in the cold; and the County's Emergency Operations Center will be activated.
Just when we needed strong leadership during a time of crisis, we got none on March 20th.
It was a cluster....