Sandy McGrath gave her weekly update on the COVID cases in the county at the Monday meeting of the Wright County Board of Supervisors. The case count was at 1,841 as of Monday. She said she is still concerned about an uptick in cases. Contact tracing reveals that cases are originating from separate households. She encourages sick people to still get tested, even if they assume they just have allergies or a cold. She added “We are making headway, but we are not out of the woods.”
Regarding vaccinations, healthcare officials in the county have vaccinated 9,452 people with 38.4% of Wright County now vaccinated. McGrath said that vaccine sign-ups are slowing down. County Public Health continues to offer times to be vaccinated at their office with plans to start a walk-in clinic next week. McGrath said she is still accepting part of her vaccine allotment but may decline in the next week unless demand increases. She emphasized, “We don’t want to waste vaccines when we open them, but we want to have it available.”
Eric Rector, Wright County Conservation Director, came before the board to discuss the walking bridge at Lake Cornelia Park. The bridge, which extends over the entrance to the harbor, is deteriorating in spots. Rector explained that the bridge was given to the park in the mid-80s by county secondary roads. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. Now, due to wear and tear and years of moisture, there are rotting areas and various states of decay in the sub-structure of the bridge. After consulting with the county engineer, Rector noted that the bridge would have to be repaired in the near future, though it is still safe to walk on now. They want to preserve the historic nature of the bridge as well. The board asked Rector to explore cost estimates for repairs.
The board appointed three members to the Temporary Redistricting Commission. Members will include Shannon Walker, Jeremy Abbas, and Bridget Shileny. The Commission will meet later in the summer under the direction of the county auditor’s office to make decisions on redistricting in the county based on census results.
In other business, Drainage Clerk Courtney Morris presented joint drainage district assessments from the joint counties to the board. The matter from last week discussing reclassifying DD 16 was tabled again. Assessor Shari Plagge introduced a new employee in her office, Deacon Garvey. Garvey is the new GIS Coordinator for the county and will be working towards becoming a deputy assessor. He has past experience in both Story and Hamilton Counties.
