The Pulaski County Council appears to have disbanded its salary matrix committee, which council members say never officially existed in the first place. Last month, council members referred a series of salary-related requests to the committee for further consideration.
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Pulaski County officials continue to consider proposals for banking services and a new email system. When the county commissioners and Treasurer Teresa Bryant convened as the board of finance last week, she said the county got four bids from local banks for cash management services.
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The opening of ambulance bids during last week’s Pulaski County Commissioners meeting drew concerns from a couple of bidders. The county got a total of five bids from four companies, ranging from a little over $119,000 to almost $149,000. The apparent low bidder was Crossroads Ambulance Sales and Service out of Middlebury.
Continue readingThe Town of Winamac is looking to team up with Pulaski County to continue offering recycling pickup. Town Manager Brad Zellers told the county commissioners Tuesday that he’s been discussing options with the manager of the county’s recycling and transfer station, Brad Bonnell.
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The Save the Pulaski County Courthouse group is ready to get to work to find ways to meet the county government’s current needs without tearing down the historic building. That’s what group member Michael Beach told the county commissioners Monday. “We’re going to try to get a little bit more organized, have a little more meetings, and be a little more proactive,” he said, “but it’s not about just saying, ‘Don’t do it,’ and then we walk away. I think we can help.” Beach asked county officials to take time to do a fuller analysis before making any decisions.
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Work continues on a body camera policy for the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department. Sheriff Jeff Richwine told the county commissioners last week that he’s begun getting requests for body camera footage, but there are laws that limit what the department may release. “It’s a kind of a nightmare,” he said. “We’re working on getting the software that we can redact all the stuff. [County Attorney] Kevin [Tankersley] read the law, I read the law, and you’re head still kind of spins.”
The manufacturer moving into the old Anvil & Saw property on Pulaski County Road 200 South is on track to get a $200,000 loan from the county. The county commissioners conditionally approved a revolving loan request Monday from IBC Thermoplastics.
The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department is looking to finalize a couple of contracts. An agreement with Motorola for new body cameras, portable radios, and other equipment was approved by the county commissioners earlier this month. Auditor Laura Wheeler told the county council last week that she needs to know where exactly the money is coming from, before the paperwork may be finalized.
The Pulaski County Commissioners have signed off on funding arrangements for the county’s Court Appointed Special Advocates program. During last week’s meeting, it was explained that the county council has allocated $40,000 to the CASA program, and the state would provide more than $8,400 in grant funding.
Pulaski Superior Court is seeking funding for security cameras, after a defendant apparently left a knife in the courtroom, within easy reach of jail inmates.
After a couple left almost $30,000 to the Pulaski County EMS Department in their will, county officials are now taking steps to allow that money to be used. EMS Director Bryan Corn asked the county council this month to formally incorporate that money into his budget. “Just a little over a month ago, I believe, we received a check,” he explained. “It was a donation from the estate of a Henry and Alice Mooi. That total comes out to $29,901.71. That is strictly to be used for the EMS Department only, and that is strictly to be used for equipment for the EMS Department.”
The Pulaski County Council is making funding arrangements for new communications equipment for the Sheriff’s Department. Plans call for upgrades to the 911 center’s phone system, new body cameras and portable radios for the deputies, new video editing software, and cloud storage.
Changes are coming to Pulaski County’s salary matrix next year. The 2019 matrix approved by the county council last week seeks to correct a couple of oversights in the current version by adding the jail commander and certain employees in the Health Department. It also appears that EMS employees will remain on the matrix next year. The EMS Department was added to the system last month, despite opposition from EMS Director Bryan Corn and some of his employees.
Vaping will no longer be allowed in Pulaski County’s government buildings. The county commissioners voted Monday to add language on vaping into the county’s tobacco policy.
The Pulaski County Commissioners will hear updates from EMS Director Bryan Corn and Highway Superintendent Terry Ruff during this morning’s meeting. According to the advance agenda, County Attorney Kevin Tankersley will discuss vaping, Recorder Sue Fox will discuss two bids, and Building Inspector Doug Hoover will ask the commissioners to approve an invoice.
The replacement of the Pulaski County Courthouse elevator is on track to be complete by its October construction deadline. The problem is that the original legal agreement called for it to be installed by the end of September. The project is part of a larger effort to make the courthouse compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, after the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit over a lack of accessibility.
The Pulaski County Commissioners have agreed to a funding arrangement for the relocation of the Emergency Management Agency’s radio equipment. The EMA is moving from the courthouse to the former Winamac Masonic Lodge. Moving the radio antennas is expected to cost $10,000.
If you owe Pulaski County money, the county will soon be able to garnish your state income tax refunds. The county commissioners Tuesday agreed to take part in the Tax Refund and Exchange Compliance System.
A Pulaski County adventure park is drawing privacy concerns from some of its neighbors. McKenzie and John Forest live just north of Rugged Adventures, outside Winamac. Last week, they came to the county commissioners looking for help.
The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department may be stepping up its use of body cameras and upgrading its technology in the process. Sheriff Jeff Richwine told the county commissioners Monday that up until now, he’s left it up to his deputies to decide when to turn on their cameras, rather than requiring their use at all times.
