The Starke County EMS Department will receive a much needed heater for the Medic 5 base in Grovertown.
In a specially-called joint session of the Starke County Commissioners and Starke County Council Thursday night, EMS Director Travis Clary said medications are freezing in the ambulance at the Grovertown base because there is not a proper heat source in the garage area. There is a good heat supply in the office area, but it is needed where the ambulance is parked to preserve intravenous and other perishable medications. The Starke County Commissioners declared the need an emergency and the council members approved the acquisition of a ceiling heater from McGrath’s Refrigeration not to exceed $2,057.87. The purchase will come from the 2017 budget.
Funds were also transferred and encumbered to cover payroll needs with the EMS staff.
After a presentation by IT Director Mark Gourley, the commissioners recommended buying eight new computers for use by the recorder’s office, planning commission, board of zoning appeals and EMA as an effort to upgrade the current computers. The new computers will also increase productivity as they will provide a quicker operating system and capability. The purchase price approved by the council members was just over $7,700. They also unanimously approved a motion to purchase Android tablets for use by the council and commissioners not to exceed $1,500. The idea is to receive all documents electronically to save on the amount of paperwork printed for each person at each meeting.
Starke County Surveyor Bill Crase requested the purchase of a scanner/printer large enough to scan books used by the surveyor’s office, health department, highway department and recorder’s office. It will also allow color copies of necessary documents. Crase said Eastern Engineering offered the lowest quote that best suits the needs of all departments in the amount of $8,995 with a one-year extended warranty of $795. The purchase was unanimously approved.
Crase added that this is a step toward electronically offering these documents online.
Crase will be talking with the State Board of Accounts on configuring a fee schedule for copies. The money generated from the fees will go into a line item that would go toward the cost of toner for the machine.
In a final action of the evening, the council approved the transfer of $50,000 into the Rainy Day Fund.
