Executives discuss COVID-19 response
The Ark-Tex Council of Governments (ATCOG) is facing the COVID-19 outbreak from a regional perspective and trying to address housing and small business crises during this time, according to officials at their executive committee meeting Thursday.
Present at the meeting was Red River County Judge and ATCOG President L.D. Williamson, Hopkins County Judge Robert Newsom, Executive Director and Sulphur Springs native Chris Brown, Franklin County Judge Scott Lee, and city personnel from the cities of New Boston, Texarkana and Gladewater.
According to Brown, ATCOG had transitioned 95% of its staff to remote work, with the exception of a few 911, TRAX bus and housing personnel in Texarkana and Paris. Brown also stated that both Bowie and Cass counties were running their emergency management coordinations out of the ATCOG office, which is located in Texarkana.
“Our TRAX drivers are still running full routes, with the change that they are shutting down in the middle of the day to sanitize the buses,” Brown noted.
With those who use TRAX being those at risk for contracting COVID-19— low income and elderly— Brown said, it was crucial to ATCOG that services continue. However, Brown said, it was also important to the COG to maintain the health of the drivers.
“Our drivers are on the front line of this thing; they’re continually exposed to public passengers,” Brown stated. “Keep them in your prayers. They’ve been the only line for people to get to work and get their essential needs like medicines, medical appointments and groceries.”
Brown stated that personal protective equipment (PPE) for drivers was “running pretty low,” and that the COG would take donations of supplies from anyone that could provide them. TRAX drivers are currently provided with one pair of gloves per day, Brown said, and have been discussing using bandannas as masks if they are not able to reorder typical N95 masks.
“We’re trying to keep everyone safe. I’m not sure if we’re doing it,” Williamson stated. “There’s just so much going on. We’ve got all our lobbies closed to the public, and grocery stores are out of everything.”
“All of our counties are in the same situation,” Brown agreed. “We’re following the governor’s orders but basically not more restrictive than that.”
About ongoing testing and caseload, Williamson said he believed Red River County “may have some [cases] before long.”
“Here in Franklin County, we’ve only had one tested, and he came back negative,” Lee stated.
“A lot of things we’ve heard on the news, from a housing standpoint there will be no evictions unless extenuating circumstances,” Brown stated. “Breaking the law, endangering someone, things like that. However, we do have to make sure people are still paying their rent. …If people lose their jobs, they do have the ability to try and get things in place. They won’t get kicked out of their house immediately, but they still have to abide by the lease.”
Brown also stated that funds were still available through ATCOG’s homelessness assistance pro gram throughout the Texas Homelessness Coalition. Brown also stated he hoped ATCOG could provide increased funding to their senior meal program to address lack of availability of food at grocery stores for seniors. Brown stated that all senior centers served by ATCOG are pickup only at this time.
Brown stated that any small business loans at this time are going through the small business development centers, which yesterday were inaccessible due to high web traffic. Disaster loans may be available, Brown said, but he said he stressed he was unsure at this time how exactly the government would deploy these loans as the legislation was still making its way through the senate.
“We have zero guidance on this yet,” Brown said. “We’ll understand a little bit about this better next week and how we can deploy this.”
For Brown, the situation is urgent as the population ATCOG serves is often low-income and elderly.
“The biggest deal we can do is make sure meals get to the elderly right now,” he said.
Lisa Reeve, transportation manager, said that currently both Lamar County and the city of Texarkana have been authorized to use ATCOG resources to deliver home meals to seniors.
“They’ve been getting a lot of calls, and I’m checking in with them every day,” Reeve stated.
The group ended their meeting by resolving to continue to have strong regional communication when addressing emergency needs.