Carbon County officials are concerned about unforeseen costs that will happen in 2021 as a result of the pandemic.

On Thursday, the county commissioners said that there are a number of unknowns that may cost thousands of dollars - and may not be covered if the federal government doesn’t provide additional COVID-19 relief to states and counties.

The discussion came after Commissioner Chris Lukasevich voted no to supply constables at all the district court offices through Feb. 28, 2021 at a cost of $13 per hour.

Commissioners’ Chairman Wayne Nothstein said he understood Lukasevich’s reasons because the payment to constables now falls back on the county, rather than the CARES Act funds.

“We are out of the CARES funding,” he said, adding that the county must watch expenses. “We have to plan for the worst and hope for the best.”

He hopes the federal government can come to an agreement and pass some additional relief because big ticket items will be coming up because of the pandemic.

That includes renting additional space from the Jim Thorpe Area School District for the courts, which, Commissioner Rocky Ahner said, could cost tens of thousands of dollars due to staffing, outfitting the site to meet the courts’ needs and other supplies.

“If we don’t get (more) money from the CARES Act, and it winds up being a $200,000 bill, it goes to the tax payer,” Ahner said.

The county initially planned to rent space in Lehighton to hold court trials, but on Thursday, the commissioners said that site was off the table now.

In addition, Lukasevich said that the county is seeing backlogs in offices because when someone has to quarantine, that means work isn’t getting done and putting a strain on other staff in the departments.

Other unknown cost include both cleaning supplies and personal protective equipment, which are hard to come by.

Nothstein said that the county approved extending its declaration of disaster emergency to June 30, 2021 on Thursday because there is a concern for the supplies because the county, which had been supplying municipalities with PPE, are running low. The declaration allows counties to purchase needed supplies without having to go through the bidding process.

“We are just about out (of the PPE from PEMA and donations),” Nothstein said, adding that come 2021, municipalities may need to depend on purchasing these supplies on their own because of the funding.

Election office move

In a related matter, Lukasevich thanked the Jim Thorpe Area School District for working with the county to supply rental space for departments as part of the 44/76 Susquehanna St. renovation project, as well as for future court space.

He noted that the county elections office has now been fully moved to the district’s administration building at 410 Center Ave., Jim Thorpe and will remain there until the renovation project is completed.