Some Updates and Resources
from Cumberland County

I don't think I need to write much of a preamble here. We're all doing our best to keep the functions and critical operations of our organizations open, while protecting ourselves and our families from the spread of the Coronavirus. In this edition:

Operational Status at Cumberland County
Rumor Control by FEMA
WiFi Access at MLTI School Parking Lots
COVID-19 Developments at the Jail
Useful HR guidance documents

Operational Status at Cumberland County

Cumberland County facilities are closed to the general public until at least April 16.

County Offices at the courthouse and Windham campus - with the exception the District Attorney's Office - are closed to the public.
The Probate office and Court are closed to the public. Phone calls, emails and electronic filing will be allowed, and there is a drop box at the Newbury Street entrance to the County Courthouse facility.
The Registry of Deeds is closed to the public. There is a drop box at the Pearl Street entrance.
The District Attorney's Office will have limited public access. Check ahead before coming in.
These policies are subject - and likely - to change.

Rumor Control by FEMA

With so much information swirling around about COVID-19, here's a useful rumor checker from FEMA. It includes the latest factual reports on lockdown measures and the stability of the food supply chain. Right now it's pretty lean, but we expect a lot more activity in the rumor mill over the next few weeks and this site is a helpful place to check facts vs. myths.

https://www.fema.gov/coronavirus-rumor-control

WiFi Access at MLTI School Parking Lots

Network Maine, which operates the Maine Learning Technology Initiative, is creating guest user access at the schools where the MLTI provides wireless services. This means if you don't have great internet service and need to get online - and your local school participates - you should be able to access service from the school parking lot. To see a list of participating schools visit MLTI's website here:

https://www.maine.gov/doe/learning/ltt/mlti/schools

COVID-19 Developments at the Jail

As you likely read in the news, an inmate in the jails' Community Corrections Center (CCC) was put into quarantine and tested for COVID-19 last week. The CCC program is for low-risk offenders who often have local jobs outside of the jail facility. The inmate was walking to and from work down the street while in CCC. The program has been suspended. In other jail news, the Sheriff's Office has been working with the County District Attorney's Office to facilitate the release of more than 50 low-risk offenders, in order to thin out the population at the facility and reduce the risk of spread.

Some Useful HR Documents

Cumberland County's Human Resources Department has prepared guidance documents for our department heads to follow in regard to remote working, interviewing staffers who have traveled out of state recently, and a variety of other policies and procedures that align with state and federal laws and guidelines in managing a government office during this pandemic. You can access them here:

http://cumberlandcounty.org/718/COVID-19-HR-Guidance-Documents

Some Updates and Resourcesfrom Cumberland County