Leesburg Clerk-Treasurer Mike Searfoss. Media file photo.

LEESBURG — At a brief meeting Friday morning, April 3, Leesburg Town Council approved a temporary resolution allowing Leesburg Clerk-Treasurer Michael Searfoss to pay bills without  prior approval from the board.

“The document was drafted by our town attorney as directed by the State of Indiana Executive Order 20-09 enacted March 6, 2020,” said Leesburg Council President Doug Jones. 

The resolution states that due to the public health emergency declared by the Governor of Indiana, it is deemed to be in the best interest of the Town of Leesburg and the citizens thereof to take the following actions waiving or modifying procedures as allowed under that authority:

• The clerk-treasurer is authorized to modify the hours that the town hall is open to the public, as well as his own work hours and hours of employees under his direct supervision.
• The clerk-treasurer may pay all routine claims and obligations without the prior approval of the town board, including but not limited to employee salaries, bond payments, utility payments, insurance payments, credit card payments, and other claims and obligations regularly and routinely incurred and paid by the town. Should any question arise as to payment of a particular claim or obligation, the clerk-treasurer shall make individual inquiry of the members of the town board as to payment of that claim or obligation, and if all members are in agreement, take the agreed upon action as to that claim or obligation. If the members are not in agreement, the claim or obligation shall remain unpaid pending action by the town board at a public meeting.
• The regularly scheduled April meeting of the town board is cancelled.
• The president of the town board may schedule special meetings of the town board or executive sessions of the town board if in his opinion he deems such meetings or executive sessions would not constitute a risk to the town board, town employees or the general public.
• The clerk-treasurer is authorized to take any other steps to conduct the minimally required business of the town, as advised by the town attorney. The clerk-treasurer shall promptly notify the members of the town board of any such actions.
• All town employees will receive regular, full-time pay or part-time pay, as approved before the COVID-19 emergency, for their normal work week, even if their actual work hours have been reduced by the direction of the town board. All town employees will receive regular pay for sick leave for a period of two weeks, based upon their full-time wage or average wage for part-time employees.
• All claims approved and paid by the clerk shall be allowed by the town board at the first regular meeting after the public health emergency has ended.
• The town board hereby adopts the provisions and procedures set forth in Executive Order 20-09, made by the Governor of the State of Indiana on March 23, 2020, as it relates to the Open Door Law, Public Records, Public Access Counselor, Depository Rule, Emergency Purchases, and Law Enforcement Training, a copy of which Executive Order 20-09 is attached hereto and made a part of this resolution.
• This Resolution shall be effective as of March 16, 2020, and shall continue in full force and effect until the public health emergency terminates, or by further action of the Leesburg Town Board.

A sewer rate reduction for churches, bars and restaurants was also approved. As of March 16, rates for Leesburg restaurants and churches will be reduced until the state allows them to reopen. The rates will be consistent with the rate a standard household pays.