Pulaski County Council Rejects Change in Victim’s Assistance Coordinator Salary

Posted on Author Michael Gallenberger
Pulaski County Council: back row: Mike Tiede, Kathi Thompson, Brian Young; front row: Scott Hinkle, Rudy DeSabatine, Jay Sullivan (not pictured: Ken Boswell)

The Pulaski County Council has reversed course on a salary change for a staff member in the Prosecutor’s Office. Last month, the council voted to tie the victim’s assistance coordinator’s pay rate to the level specified by the grant that funds the position, with Ken Boswell and Scott Hinkle opposing. But when it came time to update the salary matrix to reflect the change last week, council members Rudy DeSabatine and Jay Sullivan joined Boswell and Hinkle in opposition, denying the measure by a vote of four-to-three.

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Pulaski County Council Suggests Ways to Streamline Building Department Operations

Posted on Author Michael Gallenberger
Pulaski County Council: back row: Mike Tiede, Kathi Thompson, Brian Young; front row: Scott Hinkle, Rudy DeSabatine, Jay Sullivan (not pictured: Ken Boswell)

As the Pulaski County building inspector continues asking for a full-time deputy, some county council members are wondering if there are ways the building department could streamline its operations. The topic came up when Building Inspector Doug Hoover asked to have part-time assistant Karla Kreamer moved to full-time status earlier this month. “If you look at it, man, we have increased a lot, and we’re really working hard,” Hoover said. “And we could do a lot more. I don’t know what to tell you guys.”

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Pulaski County Council Decides to Hold Off on Staffing Increases while Awaiting Fiscal Plan

Posted on Author Michael Gallenberger
Pulaski County Council: back row: Mike Tiede, Kathi Thompson, Brian Young; front row: Scott Hinkle, Rudy DeSabatine, Jay Sullivan (not pictured: Ken Boswell)

Pulaski County’s long-awaited fiscal plan is set to be unveiled next month, but in the meantime, several departments’ requests for additional help will remain on hold. Three department heads were scheduled to ask the county council for staffing increases Monday, but at the start of the meeting, Council Member Kathi Thompson said that fiscal planning consultant Jeffrey Peters has asked council members to hold off.

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Pulaski Commissioners Decline to Make Recommendation about New Prosecutor’s Office Secretary

Posted on Author Michael Gallenberger
Pulaski County Commissioners: Mike McClure, Jerry Locke, Kenny Becker

The Pulaski County Commissioners have declined to make an official recommendation about adding a new secretary for the Prosecutor’s Office. Prosecutor Dan Murphy has been asking for a seventh full-time staff member, citing a significant increase in the number of cases being filed, along with the addition of new court programs. The matter ended in a three-to-three tie during this month’s county council meeting, leading Council President Jay Sullivan to ask for the commissioners’ input.

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Pulaski County Council Member Expresses Concern over Availability of Meeting Minutes, Notices

Posted on Author Michael Gallenberger
Pulaski County Council: back row: Mike Tiede, Kathi Thompson, Brian Young; front row: Scott Hinkle, Rudy DeSabatine, Jay Sullivan (not pictured: Ken Boswell)

Pulaski County can do a better job of sharing its government records with the public. That’s according to County Council Member Brian Young. During a recent meeting, Young noted that while there’s an online archive of meeting minutes on the county’s website, it hasn’t been updated since October, at least for the council and commissioners meetings.

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Pulaski County Council Creates Budget Line Item for Upcoming Bridge Replacement

Posted on Author Michael Gallenberger

The Pulaski County Council has begun making funding arrangements for an upcoming bridge replacement. The bridge on County Road 400 East over Mill Creek is set to be replaced in the next year or two, according to Highway Superintendent Terry Ruff. “We lowered the weight limit on it last year,” he told council members this month. “It needs to be replaced. Heaven forbid if something happens to that bridge, you know how much traffic’s through that area.”

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Pulaski County Officials Make Appointments, Call for Updated List of Board, Commission Members

Posted on Author Michael Gallenberger

The Pulaski County Council and Commissioners made appointments to some boards and commissions last week, but no one seemed to be entirely sure who’s currently on many of them. During last Monday’s joint session, the commissioners appointed Ray Franko to the advisory plan commission. He replaces Doug McKinley as one of the board’s Republican members. The commissioners had already appointed Democrat Bob Keller to replace Jim Thompson back in December.

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Pulaski County Council Finalizes Pay Raise for Chief Deputy Coroner

Posted on Author Michael Gallenberger
Pulaski County Council: back row: Mike Tiede, Kathi Thompson, Brian Young; front row: Scott Hinkle, Rudy DeSabatine, Jay Sullivan (not pictured: Ken Boswell)

The Pulaski County Council has finalized a significant pay raise for Chief Deputy Coroner Jon Frain, but not without some opposition. Council members approved a pair of wage revisions Monday.

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Pulaski Superior Court Requests More Money for Witness Fees, Examination of Prisoners, Pauper Counsel

Posted on Author Michael Gallenberger

Just a few weeks into 2019, Pulaski Superior Court has already used up its annual budget for examination of prisoners and witness fees. Judge Crystal Brucker Kocher told the county council and commissioners Monday that the two line items had a combined $3,000 budgeted for this year. That money is used to hire doctors for the process of determining whether defendants are competent to stand trial.

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Vote to Add New Secretary for Pulaski County Prosecutor’s Office Ends in Tie

Posted on Author Michael Gallenberger
Pulaski County Council: back row: Mike Tiede, Kathi Thompson, Brian Young; front row: Scott Hinkle, Rudy DeSabatine, Jay Sullivan (not pictured: Ken Boswell)

The addition of a new secretary for the Pulaski County Prosecutor’s Office appears to depend on a recommendation from the county commissioners, after the county council was once again unable to reach a clear consensus Monday.

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‘Save the Pulaski County Courthouse Group’ Offers Safety, Security Recommendations

Posted on Author Michael Gallenberger

As Pulaski County officials consider long-term facilities plans, the Save the Courthouse group has come up with some recommendations to address safety and security concerns in the meantime. A list of two proposed solutions was presented to the county council Monday. One involves locking all the doors except for one set, and creating a single point of entry staffed by an officer.

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Fiscal Planning Consultant to Pulaski County Council: ‘You’re on a Track That You Can’t Continue On’

Posted on Author Michael Gallenberger

Pulaski County’s tax structure is not sustainable. That’s what fiscal planning consultant Jeffrey Peters told the county council during a public hearing Monday. “You’re on a track that you can’t continue on,” he said, “and those income taxes are going to have to be shifted around in some fashion, in order to get you back to an equilibrium to provide services under a revenue model that does not eat up all your cash over time.”

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