Shawnee County commissioners on Monday authorized county departments to use the Zoom videoconferencing application.
Commissioners Bill Riphahn, Kevin Cook and Aaron Mays voted 3-0 to approve a consent agenda that included a proposal that enables employees to use Zoom to meet by video instead of face-to-face, with individual departments paying for the subscriptions.
Commissioners Cook and Riphahn were among the 10 people physically present for Monday’s meeting in the commission chambers in the County Courthouse, which is closed to the public. Also on hand were five other county employees and three journalists.
Mays took part by speakerphone, as did several county department heads.
(Read more: Local – The Topeka Capital-Journal)

The decision by Shawnee County commissioners to strengthen the county’s reserve fund is paying off in this time of crisis, Commissioner Kevin Cook said Monday.
He made reference at that morning’s meeting to an announcement Topeka’s city government made Friday indicating the coronavirus crisis had forced it to reduce salaries and implement a hiring freeze.
Shawnee County’s government doesn’t need to reduce salaries or workforce at this time, as its reserve balance rose from $3 million to $33 million after Cook and former Commissioner Bob Archer joined that body seven and a half years ago, Cook said.
“Fortunately, Shawnee County has a strong reserve balance to draw from in a time of crisis,” he said.
(Read more: Local – The Topeka Capital-Journal)