b'A Challenge to Providing VIP Service During a PandemicBy: Rebecca Ison,Public RelationsA s COVID-19 spreads across therenewals can be processed online, by United States, business andphone, by mail or by using the drop offices have found themselvesboxes present outside every branch. faced with the unprecedented task ofIn order to process the increase of continuing to provide services amid acall-in renewals, clerks from other nationwide health crisis. Restaurants,branches have been assigned to the retail stores, arts and performancecall center, and additional phone lines venues, hotels, libraries, and manyhave been added to keep wait times other public spaces have been re- low.quired to close for the foreseeable future while health care providers andCustomers and lenders who need local government agencies try to limitto access real estate records may exposure and keep employees safe.do so by visiting the JCCO website. At the time this article was written,Our office does offer e-recording for there are 434,791 active cases in thecustomers with access to this service. United States, and over 14,000 deathsDrop boxes are located outside the attributed to COVID-19. Here in Ken- Deed Room as well. tucky, there are 1,162 reported casesAlthough the Election Center is cur-resulting in 73 deaths.rently closed, voters can still register On March 6 th , Governor Andyor update their registration via our Beshear declared a state of emergen- website, or by using the Secretary of cy in Kentucky, requesting citizens toStates registration website at gov-work from home if possible, limit theiroteky.com. Naturally, all offices are still exposure to others, and practice socialaccessible by phone. Marriage licens-distancing. All these steps have beenes are still available by appointment. shown to effectively limit the spreadcontinue assisting customers.As of now, there is no way of know-of COVID-19. Despite this request,All JCCO offices were closed to theing when business and operations will some employees, offices, and servicespublic as of March 17 th . No custom- return to normal. Until then, the JCCO designated as essential, were noters are currently allowed inside, butwill continue to provide services and able to completely shut down or allowemployees continue to report, andassist our customers in this new way. employees to work remotely. In theseservices are still available to Jeffer- Whenever anything changes, our cus-cases, modifications and changesson County residents. Motor Vehicletomers will be the first to know!have been put in place in order to This Years Primary May Look DifferentBy: Jordan Kelch,Public RelationsT he upcoming Kentucky electionlocal officials more breathing room toWhile voting by mail has, in the past, cycle may look vastly differentbattle the coronavirus while building abeen an option for those taking part in from years past. In the wake offeasible plan for this seasons Primary.the In-House Absentee program, regu-the COVID-19 outbreak, the Kentuckylar elections demand voters come on-State Board of Elections held its AprilThe State Board, which met onsite to polling locations in order to cast meeting via Zoom, the digital webinarThursday, April 9th, discussed poten- a ballot. With mass closures, quaran-service. Members were able to jointial alterations to the voting process,tines, and social distancing orders, the the conference remotely from home,all in hopes of keeping voters andnormal infrastructure of the election via digital device, in order to discusselection administrators safe amidstprocess is certain to change. However, options and solutions for the upcom- uncertain conditions. Voting by mail,only time will tell what the alterations ing Primary election. This followedabsentee and in-person voting bymay look like, and how extensive they Governor Andy Beshears announce- appointment, and ballot drop-offsmay be. At this point, though, one ment Monday, March 16th, that thesites were all mentioned as possiblething is certain: this election is going May election would be moved to Junesolutions to the coronavirus-relatedto be different. 23rd; the hope was to give state andobstacles. 3'