Pulaski Commissioners Approve Expense For New 911 System

Posted on Author WKVI
Pulaski County Commissioners Tracey Shorter, Kenneth Boswell, Michael Tiede

The Pulaski County Commissioners this week approved the purchase of a new emergency 911 system after they learned their current system, which is about 10 years old, has been discontinued for about three years.

The new system, which will cost $144,000, will satisfy the order by the state fire marshal who told the county that they must relocate their 911 system to a new location for fire protection. A representative from a company who handles 911 systems told the commissioners that he developed a number of bullet points for a new system, because his company would be unable to renew the maintenance contract on their current system due to it being effectively obsolete.

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County Employees Working Holidays Will Receive Double Time And a Half

Posted on Author WKVI

Sixteen jail employees attended the Starke County Commissioners meeting yesterday to have the holiday pay schedule clarified. After some discussion, it was decided that for all police, 9-1-1, EMS, and jailers, the holiday pay would be straight time, but if they worked the holiday it would be straight time plus time and a half.

Commissioner Kathy Norem, who was formerly the hospital CEO at Starke Memorial, explained that it would be similar to what they paid and why they paid the amount.

“Anybody that worked the holiday got paid time and a half, but they also, within the same pay period, got an extra day off with pay. In essence, since these guys are not taking an extra day off, that’s no different, really, than double time and a half. And in some ways its much more beneficial to us to pay them the double time and a half if they work on the holiday rather than pay them time and a half and get them an extra day off paid, because with as skeleton as that crew is, that’s going to cause someone to get overtime,” Norem explained.

Any county employee working a holiday will be paid time and a half, on top of their regular holiday pay.