County Officials Urge Following Federal and State Guidance But Will Not Restrict Local Businesses
Mayor Bill Ketron is urging all Rutherford County citizens to follow federal and state guidelines pertaining to COVID-19 and social distancing but is not currently placing restrictions on local businesses.
“We will continue to work with our state and local health departments to provide guidance based upon their recommendations,” said Ketron. “We want our citizens to be assured that we are constantly monitoring this health situation and exploring ways to conduct County business with minimal interruption to the public.”
Ketron made the decision to limit public meetings to standing committees and full commission meetings until further notice. For committees, only committee members will be allowed in the meeting room, but the meeting will be broadcasted live into the main courtroom for others wishing to attend. “While all meetings are open to the public, we want remind the community that they can watch from home on RCTV or our YouTube Channel,” said Mayor Ketron. “If you do plan to attend in person, please be prepared to practice social distancing measures with a possible health screening at the door.”
Signs have been placed at the Rutherford County Judicial Center notifying the public that admission to the building is limited until March 31, 2020. More information is available at www.circuitcourtclerk.rutherfordcountytn.gov.
The Juvenile Court of Rutherford County has limited permitted in-court proceedings to attorneys, parties’ witnesses, deputies, court officers, and other necessary persons as determined by the Judge until March 31, 2020.
Other County departments, such as the Property Assessor’s office and Clerk’s office, have online options for conducting business as well. The Property Assessor’s office has online chat capabilities through their website at www.rcpatn.com. You can visit the Clerk’s office online for changes to their services at http://rutherfordcountytn.gov/countyclerk/.
All Rutherford County jurors who are summoned to report for jury service on March 26, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. have been rescheduled to Monday, April 6, 2020, at 8:30 a.m. Jurors must complete the juror questionnaire at https://JuryInfo.RutherfordCountyTN.gov to expedite the registration process and should call the jury line (615-907-3566) after 4:30 p.m. weekly to listen for further updates. For more information, jurors may contact 615-907-3566 between 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Building and Codes has asked builders, developers, and subcontractors to conduct transactions by phone or electronically when possible. Inspections will be carried out without disruption. More information can be obtained by emailing: [email protected] or calling 615-898-7734.
Rutherford County Schools are currently scheduled to remain closed through April 3, 2020. Any information updates regarding the school system will be delivered through RCSchools’ channels of communication including www.rcschools.net. The school district has also launched a free food program for children 18 and under at 10 sites across the county. Adult meals are also available for a fee. For the details, please check out the website or see the information on their Twitter and Facebook pages.
Any other changes in County business will be updated with local media, on official County websites, and social media platforms. The County has consolidated this information for your convenience at: http://rutherfordcountytn.gov/covid19.
“We acknowledge that there are a lot of unknowns with this health situation,” commented Mayor Ketron, “and that this is even a little scary. However, we want you to be confident that we WILL get through this. Our communities have proven this time and time again in the face of adversities. Rutherford County is strong!”
For more information on CDC guidelines for individuals and/or businesses, please visit: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html or Tennessee Department of Health at: https://www.tn.gov/health/cedep/ncov.html.
