Pulaski County is looking for a new maintenance director. Jeff Johnston stepped down from the position last Friday to take another job elsewhere, according to the county commissioners.
They voted Tuesday to advertise for a replacement in-house, with the goal of choosing someone during their February 4 meeting. Commissioner Kenny Becker noted that if they aren’t happy with the applications received, they could decide to seek external applicants later. In the meantime, the commissioners appointed Mia Salyers to serve as interim maintenance director.
Becker formally recognized Johnston during Tuesday’s meeting. “Jeff, we want to thank you for your service, what you’ve done for us,” Becker said. “I know you’re moving on to greener pastures, but we hate to see you go.”
Johnston’s resignation comes amid an ongoing debate over the future of the Pulaski County Courthouse. He presented a plan last month that proposed tearing down the courthouse and adding onto the Justice Center, as a way to address security, ADA compliance, and a number of other concerns.
The plan has drawn opposition from community members, who’ve formed a “Save the Courthouse” group to explore ways to keep the historic building in use. Johnston had previously presented a plan to preserve and expand the courthouse, but cost concerns prevented it from being implemented.
