Pulaski County Commissioners, Council Discuss County Home

  
 

The Pulaski County commissioners and the county council met in joint session last night where one of the topics was the future of the county home.

In previous meetings this year, Maintenance Director Jeff Johnston presented the county boards with a preliminary structural condition assessment of the county home conducted by American Structurepoint, Inc. The repairs needed are extensive and are estimated between $500,000 to $1 million. With that, the government entities are wondering what should be done.

Commission President Larry Brady said the county really has three options.

“We’ve discussed in the past briefly no longer using that facility but erecting a single-story facility,” explained Brady. “There’s the option of closing it down period and allowing the residents the ability to find other means to accommodate their needs. The third option would be to remodel it for a price tag that you can put a question mark on.”

While the building has not been deemed unsafe and there isn’t any immediate danger cited, there are some serious issues that need to be addressed immediately at a cost while others can wait – but not for long.

All members of both government entities want what’s best for the residents that rely on the county home for assistance and for those who work there. It will be a difficult decision for the joint boards to make as this was a hot topic discussion with the boards a few years ago.

Brady said he will speak with the members of other county governments that have recently held a similar discussion about their county homes and bring information about those discussions to another joint meeting.