By L. Parsons During last week’s Navajo County Board of Supervisor’s meeting, Navajo County Public Health Director Jeff Lee provided an update on COVID-19 in the county. “As of now, we have 5,923 cases in Navajo County. Over the past 10 days or so, we have seen a slight uptick in cases. These are the first cases in some time that are not linked back to a school exposure, really indicating that there is still community spread within Navajo County. The other thing we are seeing is a significant drop in tests being performed in the last 10 days. Why that is significant is that it will affect our percent positivity benchmark for schools and businesses.” Testing for the virus has been an ongoing conversation since the beginning of the pandemic. “There is still testing capacity in our county,” Lee said. “If you feel sick and want to be tested, there should be no challenges in getting tested. Additionally, we will post some testing locations on our dashboard that will give the details of where, how and when someone can get tested throughout the county.” That dashboard is located on the county website, www.navajocountyaz.gov. Lee mentioned the need to continue practicing protocols from the Center for Disease Control. “We know there is COVID fatigue, as this has been lingering on since the beginning of the year and the challenge is to keep continuing to follow CDC and Arizona Department of Health Services recommendations. We need to. The reason we need to is to help us prevent another spike like we saw in June and July. “We need to keep physical distancing, washing hands, wearing a mask and staying home if you’re sick. This will help as we enter the official flu season and following these measures will help lessen the impact of the flu on our community as well.” Lee noted that the flu vaccine is available. “We are working with our partners to bring drive through flu shots to our communities. Our social media will let you know each day where those can be found. This year more than ever, it is important that we all get our flu vaccine. This will help avoid stressing out our health care system and avoid any flu/COVID co-infections. Ask your doctor to schedule your family’s flu vaccine.” Whitesinger addressed Lee. “I have heard that the virus is changing in a sense that it might not be as challenging to our bodies as it has been in the past and that it might be a milder form. Is there any validity to that?” Lee replied by explaining there is still not enough known about the virus to make that an official statement. He said, “There is some evidence that the virus is changing. We don’t have enough evidence to make any solid predictions off of it, but some of the things we are seeing are lessened symptoms. People are not having such a severe reaction to it. The other thing that is really helping out, is that the health care system is learning more about the virus and how to treat it better. So those who do have a more severe reaction are being treated in a way that they are recovering much quicker and with less intensive care at the hospitals. Those are good signs, but it is still too early to say that it has definitely changed to a weaker version of the virus. In other business, the board: * Approved contracts signed by County Manager Glenn Kephart to extend the timeline on a community development block grant project in Snowflake. The project has been postponed due to the pandemic and will now be extended until Feb. 1, 2021. The original grant amount remains the same at $219,869. Also extended is a contract with the Heber/Overgaard Fire Department to use funds of $2,656 from the State and Community Highway Safety Grant Program to purchase a pediatric restraint system. * Approved an agreement with the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office and Phoenix Police Department in which PPD will facilitate grant funds of $5,000 from the United States Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. The funds will be used to assist NCSO in detection and investigation of sexual assault, exploitation, abuse and other crimes against children. * Approved a license extension agreement with Aztec Land and Cattle Co., LLC until April 2024. The agreement allows the county to remove material used for repaving county maintained roadways from Aztec owned property commonly known as the Woodruff Pitt. The material removed is paid for by Highway User Revenue Funds at $1 per cubic yard. * Approved the purchase of two 2020 all-wheel drive Caterpillar motor graders with a trade-in of two old motor graders from Empire Machinery for $565,117. * Approved the purchase of one 2019 950 GC wheel loader with a trade-in of one 1983 950 Caterpillar wheel loader from Empire Machinery for $201,807. * Adopted a resolution granting a special use permit to Aztec Land and Cattle Co., LLC for operation of an already existing 198-foot meteorological tower 15 miles southwest of Holbrook and another 20 miles southwest of Holbrook. * Approved the sale of 41 back tax land parcels sold over the counter at $17,733. * Approved a memorandum of agreement between the county and Show Low Unified School District to formalize the partnership with Teen Health. The program provides education for teens on topics of life skills, financial literacy, sexual health and more, as well as awareness around drugs, alcohol, tobacco and bullying. * Approved the appointment of Lyle Trone as Apache County business representative on the Local Workforce Development Board. * Approved grants awarded to Navajo County Emergency Management through the State Homeland Security Grant Program. The Citizen Corp Council will receive an equipment grant of $5,249 for equipment upgrades. The training and exercise account will receive $62,572 for training of first responders, emergency management, volunteers and partnering agencies as well as costs associated with exercises used to put that training in to practice. * Accepted School House Lane in Show Low into the county maintenance system. * Approved a perpetual drainage easement over and across real property in the Sky Hi Retreat community in Pinetop. * Approved Navajo County’s Community Rating System annual recertification letter. Compliance with the Nation Flood Insurance Program allows citizens to purchase flood insurance underwritten by the National Flood Insurance Program. * Approved warrant and voucher reports over $1,000 for the month of September. * Approved constable reports for September for Snowflake, Show Low and Pinetop-Lakeside precincts. * Upheld the assessor’s decision on real property valuation on two properties. The subject property owners submitted appraisals to support their opinions of a lower cash value than the assessor’s opinion. The assessor recommended no change in full cash value. * Approved the stipulations on petitions for review on two real properties. The stipulations lowered full cash value amounts for the tax year 2021 on the properties. The next meeting of the Navajo County Board of Supervisors will be held at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27. Information on how to attend virtually will be posted online at the county website.
