Pulaski County is looking to tighten its employee drug testing policy. The update would allow department heads or the county commissioners to demand a drug test based on probable cause, such as smell or behavior.
Commissioner Kenny Becker says the change would allow for more oversight of department heads. “There’s nobody over them, and that policy book didn’t state that,” he explains. “So say I was the highway superintendent and they said, ‘Hey, I think Kenny’s been drinking.’ That’s gives you probable cause to call and have a drug test on him, where before there was nobody there to say that he had to take a drug test. Nobody could force him. I was a department head, and nobody had presence over me to say that, ‘Hey, I think you’ve been drinking. You need to go have a drug test.'”
The commissioners voted last week to add the change to the policy handbook, along with a couple other updates. Tonight, it will be up to the county council to approve the amendments, before the handbook is officially updated.
In other business tonight, the Pulaski County Council will meet with the Winamac Town Council to discuss a freeze on local income tax revenue distributions.
County council members will also revisit a request to help pay for a new van for Pulaski County Human Services. The organization asked for nearly $7,000 to help cover the local share of the purchase price, while 80 percent would be covered by grant funds.
The request was tabled last month, as council members wanted to research whether any further action was actually needed. A motion to contribute the money out of the County Economic Development Income Tax Fund was approved by the council back in June.
Tonight’s Pulaski County Council meeting starts at 7:00 EDT at the Pulaski County Courthouse.
