St. Joseph City Manager John Hodgson says contrary to a published report, he’s not sick and had no exposure to coronavirus while on vacation, but is self-quarantined out of an abundance of caution. Mayor Mike Garey addressed the absences of three people at the opening of Monday night’s city commission meeting.
“”First off, City Manager John Hodgson, City Attorney Laurie Schmidt, and Commissioner Peggy Getty, they are home quarantined currently. Some because of travel, some because of exposure,” said Garey
Hodgson says because he had dined with his dentist while on vacation, his dentist immediately closed his office and canceled appointments with patients upon reading the published story. The city manager says he feels terrible for those patients who lost their appointments as a result. St. Joseph is closing City Hall to the public in response to coronavirus through April 3. Interim assistant city manager and public works director Tom MacDonald says they’re changing shifts at the water plant from 8 to 12 hour shifts, but says the water supply is safe.
“The treatment process that we use to treat the water is very effective at virus removal,” MacDonald told WSJM News.
The city is canceling all non-essential meetings and is working to determine if it’s possible to hold city commission meetings without an in-person audience. St. Joseph does not have the same ability as South Haven, which broadcasts city council meetings on public access TV and Monday night began using a Google doc to allow for public comments and questions from outside City Hall during the meeting.
