PACIFIC COUNTY — The past two years under the covid-19 pandemic have been filled with uncertainty, but according to one elected official in Pacific County, decisions by the county commissioners were crucial in keeping local agencies operating.

County Assessor Bruce Walker is one of the more outspoken elected officials, keeping constituents informed about the county’s housing market and taxes. However, he most recently spoke up in praise of Commissioners Lisa Olsen, Michael Runyon and Frank Wolfe.

“During the [past] two years, they gave us everything we needed,” Walker said. “They made sure that everybody got paid, and they gave us all the guidelines on health and followed it, and [county administrator] Kathy [Spoor] being a nurse [helped].”

With a sharp increase in home sales and some houses selling before even being listed by realtors, Walker’s office was one of the busiest agencies in the county during the pandemic. It continuously had to keep up with the demand.

“[The pandemic] also kind of made it easier because we weren’t having to wait on the counter,” Walker said. “We were still here answering the phones every day, and everyone, the realtors, buyers, and sellers, got used to doing things online.”

At the height of the initial phase of the pandemic in 2020, commissioners made the tough decision to close all offices to the public to limit the spread of the virus. They also installed safety barriers, purchased personal protective equipment such as masks, and made moves to provide paid leave to workers who contracted the virus while working.

“I’ve been here just over 30 years, and I can’t say enough about the administration or the staff and my staff the last couple of years,” Walker said. “It was kind of scary, to begin with, but then we got through it. The maintenance guys put up plexiglass and the shields [to keep us safe.]”

Commissioner’s perspective

On the other side of the spectrum, Olsen believes that it wasn’t just decisions by her and her colleagues, but also the employees like Walker that worked day in and day out to keep agencies operating. Many spent months working from home during the pandemic.

“We were really in uncharted waters, especially at the beginning, but our employees really stepped up to make sure that what needed to be done got done. So many put in countless hours, especially in those early days, not knowing what was coming next,” Olsen said.

As the pandemic continues to ease, hopefully, and restrictions ease, officials all over the state are beginning to breathe sighs of relief. They are also beginning to relax and taking time to reflect on the last two years.

“There hasn’t been a scheduled debrief yet as we are really just now winding down, but for the most part, I feel that we made the best decisions we could to balance continuing public service with keeping everyone as safe as possible,” Olsen said. “We also tried to make sure the decisions we were making during this trying time not only fit the need for now, but also going into the future and whatever other situation might be waiting.”

Likewise, Wolfe praised Spoor. Over the past two years she played one of the most significant roles for the county’s pandemic response, and retired as county administrative officer on Feb. 28.

“Kathy Spoor has just retired from her position as county administrative officer. In that role, she was instrumental in helping the county to navigate the troubled waters of the pandemic. While her position involved juggling a number of priorities, and working in unforeseen territory when federal funding was made available for some resulting critical needs, she managed to cover all the bases very professionally,” he said.

“Her nursing background put her in a unique spot, knowing how to prioritize the needs that were suddenly upon us. She was just the right person, in just the right place, at just the right time. Every person in Pacific County benefited one way or another from her actions and advice,” he added.