Westmoreland County survives 1st day of scaled-back operations

Editor’s note: Westmoreland County Register of Wills Sherry Magretti Hamilton announced Thursday that starting March 20 the office would only accept emergency guardian petitions. All other office functions will be suspended through April 3.

Gallows humor was a theme in the Register of Wills office Wednesday as the handful of staffers on duty sported buttons that pictured skulls adorned with a blue ribbon and emblazoned with the word “essential.”

The office, like most others at the Westmoreland County Courthouse in Greensburg, operated with skeleton crews tasked with keeping basic government functions running as the world, country, state and region enact precautions designed to limit contact between people as a means to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

County commissioners last weekend declared a state of emergency and, starting Wednesday, scaled back government operations that cut by half the number of employees at the courthouse and other off-site county departments through at least March 30.

Visitors and staff were restricted to entering the building through the Main Street front door in Courthouse Square. Visitors were met with a sign telling them that, if sick, entrance would be denied, and those allowed in were required to use hand sanitizer.

“People are staying home, and we’re happy to see they are following procedures put in place by the governor, president and the Centers for Disease Control,” Commissioner Sean Kertes said.

Only specified government and court business will be conducted at the courthouse over the next eight workdays.

Courts were restricted to emergency custody and protection-from-abuse filings, bench warrants and bail issues that require immediate attention. All other court hearings, trials and other functions have been suspended. Court-related offices that accept documents from lawyers also were restricted to emergency filings.

The “essential” personnel in the Register of Wills office accepted filings Wednesday and again Thursday until 1 p.m. It will open half-days next week on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Chief Deputy Rona Beluschok said office staff expects to process marriage licenses, including those who might travel across state to find a courthouse office open to accept applications.

“We’re getting calls from other counties, from people who want to get marriage licenses. We have people who might come from Allegheny County and even Philadelphia,” Beluschok said.

Full staffing is required of departments such as the county 911 emergency dispatching, as well as the county jail, juvenile detention center and nursing and other medical staff at Westmoreland Manor, the county-owned nursing home.

The county’s elections bureau is fully staffed, at least until results from Tuesday’s special election are certified, according to director Beth Lechman.

Sheriff James Albert said only nine of his 80 deputies were required to work Wednesday. The office’s gun permitting division was closed. Albert said expiring licenses to carry a firearm will be extended for six months.

Controller Jeff Balzer said just a handful of staffers were in his office for several hours to process the county’s payroll. Balzer manned the office alone for the remainder of the day.

“We’re going to have a lot to do when this is over,” Balzer said.

Employees, excluding elected officials and senior department heads, will be paid overtime wages for what the county is calling “pandemic premium pay.” All other county staffers required to work from home or placed on leave will be paid regular hourly wages, according to Human Resources Director Amanda Bernard.

Kertes said the county has not yet determined what the additional pay will cost the county or a funding source for the overtime wages.