DAYTON–The region is in Phase 2 of the Governor’s Road to Recovery Plan, according to Martha Lanman, Columbia County Public Health Administrator, and she encourages the community to remain vigilant so as to remain in Phase 2, Columbia County Commissioners heard this week.

The numbers need to stay the same or improve for the region not to get bumped back into Phase 1. The numbers will be reviewed every two weeks, according to the plan.

In addition to the move to Phase 2, the community received its first lot of the Pfizer COVID vaccine. Lanman said it came as an overflow from another county. More of the Moderna vaccine was also received. Both were administered in separate clinics at the Fairgrounds.

The Public Health offices moved Friday, February 19, to their new location at 112 North Second Street. The old location didn’t allow for the staff to all work together safely on-site within COVID safety guidelines. Lanman said, “I look forward to next Monday having all my staff back in one building.”

Columbia County Prosecutor Dale Slack updated the Columbia County Commissioners about the interlocal agreement with the City of Dayton at the regular meeting on February 16. He reported he received a letter from the City requesting certain changes to the agreement.

“We met and discussed that last week and we got a couple of changes that were well taken and a couple of changes that were not because they were not things that we contemplated when we had the negotiations at the hotel,” Slack said. “I’m sending them a revised copy of the agreement and it’s going to be a ‘take it or leave it.’ If they leave it, then I guess we are going to go forward for arbitration on the contract.”

County Engineer Charles Eaton said with the recent snow, all staff were out all that weekend and into Monday, President’s Day, working 10 hours or more per day. By Tuesday, February 16, only 70% of the roads were plowed and some major roads were plowed more than once.

Sheriff Helm said the Sheriff’s Office was busy with snow-related vehicle accidents including vehicles getting stuck. He encouraged the community to stay home when possible and when venturing out to be smart and safe when bad weather hits.

Ashley Strickland of Emergency Management said that he received reports from the hydrologist that no flooding is predicted. “The temperatures are going to remain cold enough at elevation, long enough, that the ground water here will drain off before we start to have the run off from the mountains. She said that the snow that’s come down has been a fairly dry snow to begin with so it’s not heavily loaded.”