Supply Chain Issues Continue To Bedevil Region

By Gordon HopkinsEffects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic include both continuing supply chain disruption and a shortage of workers, which is being felt across the county. A statement issued by the White House explains, “Entire industries that shrank dramatically during the pandemic, such as the hotel and restaurant sectors, are now trying to reopen.”The statement also notes, “These shortages and supply-chain disruptions are significant and widespread—but are likely to be transitory.”That statement was issued in July. It is now October and the supply chain disruptions continue, resulting in delays in obtaining needed products and materials as well as an increase in costs of those items that are available.The effect is being felt right here in Jefferson County.When asked if Fairbury Public Schools was feeling any impact from the supply chain disruption, Superintendent Stephen Grizzle responded, “Continually.”Over the summer, FPS had two major construction and remodeling projects. One was the Fairbury High School shop expansion and remodel project, including a new auto shop incorporating the old welding area, a large addition to the woodshop, a new ag shop and dedicated welding space. There was also new construction at Central Elementary, with expansion of the lunchroom. Both were expected to be completed before the start of the school year or very soon after.According to Grizzle, “Aspects of our construction projects were delayed often for not being able to get parts. That might have been due to either manufacturers couldn’t produce or transport the parts. Current example, the new overhead doors for our new shops are just the panels. They are not functional yet because we can’t get the springs, tracks, etc. Hopefully we can get the parts in late October. The Central lunchroom was delayed several weeks because the FEMA-rated windows could not be manufactured. So we couldn’t do any of the finish work inside until we got the windows.”Daily operations are also struggling, such as in the cafeteria. Grizzle said, “Our food service constantly has to search for ‘available’ items to complete menus for the week.”Grizzle added, “It has been a major pain…it is surprising to me there does not seem to be much of an ‘alarm’ across the nation for most people. However, to me, it points out two things: 1. Our country is too dependent on foreign supply/manufacturers. 2. We have too few workers in our systems (manufacturing, transportation, service, etc.).”Alan Rosenthal, Director for Ambulance District #33, has also reported difficulties obtaining supplies. He spoke to Jefferson County Commissioners on Tuesday, September 26, “Honestly it’s pretty widespread. We are having some issues with everything from different drugs to supplies for our monitors.”As of now, the supply chain disruptions aren’t preventing the ambulance services from getting what is needed, but it is creating additional work for the EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians).“Certain brands that work better for us are out of stock,” Rosenthal explained. “A lot of it is just packaging. We can mostly get everything we need. We just have to deal with a lot of, like, the concentrations will change or the packaging will change. You won’t be able to get a pre-filled one. You’ll have to get a vial and then you’ll have to mix it yourself.”Rosenethal said, “We’ve had problems with defib pads, the actual sticky pads that go on our defibrillators. We’ve had to go directly from our manufacturer to try and acquire some of those.”Rosenethal added, “we’re not out of anything so it’s not critical.”During the pandemic, maintaining supplies of PPE (personal protective equipment) was a high priority. Rosenthal said, “Our COVID supplies, we stocked up pretty heavily just so that if this happened we would have plenty.”Jefferson County Commissioner Mark Schoenrock attended a meeting for Blue River Area Agency on Aging (BRAAA) on Monday, September 27, with Senators Tom Brandt (District 32) and Senator Myron Dorn (District 30). Schoenrock reported, “The main thing I want to tell you about BRAAA, guys, is we’re having a challenge with labor and with supplies to provide the services for our citizens out here our eight County area.BRAAA serves the elderly in Southeast Nebraska in Gage, Jefferson, Johnson, Nemaha, Otoe, Pawnee, Richardson, And Thayer counties.“Just to give you an example. We have four new buses on order that we were supposed to get this year. Now they’re telling us 2023,” Schoenrock said. “These old buses are shot. We have to spend money to keep these things running, functional and safe. It’s kind of like putting all this money down a rat hole that we normally would not do, but the alternative is not to put the money in there, and then we don’t provide that transportation service for people that depend on that.”Like the school cafeterias, BRAAA is struggling to obtain certain foodstuffs. Schoenrock said, “Some of our senior centers in the district, they’re having trouble getting various food items. A comment was made yesterday, they didn’t have any milk delivered to Davenport, and so our Davenport manager, she had to go there to the local market to buy milk.”Schoenrock added, “But we are maintaining the service for our citizens. That’s our goal.”

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