Pulaski County Commissioners Offer Comment on Military Vehicle Use

Posted on Author WKVI
Pulaski County Commissioners Larry Brady, Terry Young and Tracey Shorter
Pulaski County Commissioners Larry Brady, Terry Young and Tracey Shorter

The Pulaski County Commissioners were asked by a citizen to address their thoughts on the use and ownership of military vehicles in the county. That update was given at the commissioner’s meeting Monday night.

EMA Director Larry Hoover was present and stated that there were no dollars spent to get these vehicles. The only money spent was for manpower and fuel to get the vehicles and bring them to Pulaski County. As Sheriff Michael Gayer explained to the Pulaski County Council members last week, fuel was spent out of his budget and no additional tax money was used in the acquisition of the military vehicles.

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Repeater Relocation on Hold in Pulaski County

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

The Pulaski County EMA Director Larry Hoover gave the commissioners an update on the relocation of the county’s repeater.

A repeater is a device that receives radio signals and retransmits it at a higher level or higher power so that the signal can cover longer distances. The repeater is located where the old county highway department building was on the west wide of Winamac on 60 S. That building has since been demolished but the repeater remains there. It was proposed that the repeater be moved to the Pulaski County Justice center to be more centrally located, but as Hoover pointed out to the commissioners the task is a little complicated, lengthy and expensive.

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Payroll Outsourcing Discussion Tabled

Posted on Author WKVI
Pulaski County Commissioners Larry Brady, Terry Young and Tracey Shorter
Pulaski County Commissioners Larry Brady, Terry Young and Tracey Shorter

The Pulaski County Commissioners will hold off on a decision regarding a new method of capturing payroll information.

Auditor Shelia Garling told Commissioners Larry Brady and Terry Young that she’s done a lot of research with outsourcing the payroll. In talking with other auditors, she’s found that it could be a bigger hassle than needed.

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Roofing Repairs to be Done at Pulaski County Justice Center

Posted on Author WKVI
Pulaski County Sheriff's Department
Pulaski County Justice Center

The Pulaski County Commissioners learned Monday night that the roofing repairs at the Justice Center are moving forward.

Commission President Larry Brady said it’s been a year since a hail storm created the damage.

“We’re moving forward with finalizing the cost of the roofing repairs,” explained Brady. “The adjustors had to work it out with the insurance agents and everything seems to be moving forward. It’s at a slow pace but yet moving forward.”

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Pulaski County Commissioners Approve Emergency Well Replacement

Posted on Author WKVI
Pulaski County Commissioners Larry Brady, Terry Young and Tracey Shorter
Pulaski County Commissioners Larry Brady, Terry Young and Tracey Shorter

The Pulaski County Commissioners were forced call an emergency meeting last night after the well pump at the county recycling center quit. Maintenance supervisor Jeff Johnston scrambled to get prices for repair options. They ranged from a high of $11,250 to run 1,500 feet of water line and connect to the town’s infrastructure to a low of $2,450 to repair their existing well pump. The commissioners voted unanimously to hire Bill Montgomery Well Drilling to drill a new well and replace the existing infrastructure for a cost of $4,400. They noted this will solve the problem of having to heat the pump in the winter, as it will be located inside a building. Also the new well will last indefinitely. The commissioners cited concerns over having to make additional repairs had they opted to fix what was already in place. Tying into the town system was deemed too expensive an option, as it would carry a recurring monthly water bill. Johnston did not have a time frame on how long the work will take. He told the commissioners he will see that it starts as soon as possible. The commissioners had previously advertised a special session to discuss animal control for the county. That meeting was cancelled and has not yet been rescheduled.

Community Garden Planned in Pulaski County

Posted on Author WKVI

gardenNatalie Federer and Debra Winters from the Pulaski County Extension Office requested permission from the Pulaski County Commissioners this week to put together a community garden just east of the historical society museum.

A grant was received to start the program. Six to eight moveable, raised beds would be placed on the property.

Anyone in the community can plant seeds in the beds and help maintain the plants. Extra food will be donated to the food pantry.

Attending the garden makes it easier with the help of garden tools. There are tool and machine reviews online that helps people find the right garden and lawn tools for their money.

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Generator Issue for Two Pulaski County Entities Still under Discussion

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

Officials in Pulaski County are still looking into getting more details in outfitting the county home and the Pulaski County Health Department with generators.

In previous settings, county home and health department workers have asked the commissioners for hard-wired generators that will be activated if the power would happen to go out. Currently, there isn’t a generator on hand to keep the power going in an instance of a storm or other event where the electricity could be out for some time.

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Pulaski County Commissioners Discuss Emergency Meetings, Spending Limit for Maintenance Director

Posted on Author WKVI
Pulaski County Commissioners Larry Brady, Terry Young and Tracey Shorter
Pulaski County Commissioners Larry Brady, Terry Young and Tracey Shorter

The Pulaski County Commissioners took action to raise the amount of money allotted for the maintenance department in the case of an emergency situation.

Maintenance Director Jeff Johnston brought up the issue of emergency calls and the attempts to get a hold of commission members to approve a decision on how to move forward with the emergent issue at hand. The commissioners reiterated that Johnston has the authority to make the best, quickest and most cost-effective measures to take care of what needs to be done, but County Attorney Kevin Tankersley noted that some of the processes that have been done to seek commissioners’ approval of the emergent issue and money needed are not being handled in the best practice. He explained that any decision that requires immediate attention by the commissioners containing purchases over the minimum purchase requirement needs to be done in an a public emergency meeting.

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Pulaski County Commissioners Accept Bids for Highway Department Equipment

Posted on Author WKVI
Pulaski County Commissioners Larry Brady, Terry Young and Tracey Shorter
Pulaski County Commissioners Larry Brady, Terry Young and Tracey Shorter

The Pulaski County Highway Department will soon have some new equipment. The county commissioners Monday approved the purchase of a ditch bank rotary mower from Bane-Welker Equipment for $8,950. Theirs was the only bid, and it met all of the specifications. Likewise, Braun Chevrolet in Winamac submitted the only bid for the three-quarter ton pickup truck the highway department was looking to buy. The commissioners approved the purchase of a 2015 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD for $30,950 from the local dealership. Highway Superintendent Mark Fox says the county got 17 dump truck bids. The commissioners accepted his recommendation to buy a Mack truck with a Jones body from Pozzo Truck Center and let Terry Truck Equipment in Winamac fit the chassis with the necessary uplift. Fox says that’s the most cost-effective way to go, for a total of $151,642. The truck still needs to have a power passenger window so the driver can see while plowing snow and a chip box hitch installed. Fox says the two additions should not cost more than $1,500. That vehicle will have a 15 to 20 year lifespan.

The commissioners rejected the lone bid they received for a diesel tractor. Bane-Welker’s bid exceeded the specifications, as it was for a four-wheel-drive tractor. Fox says the extra drive train will cost the county considerably more to maintain. The county will solicit new tractor bids later this year.

Pulaski County Commissioners Approve Zoning Change

Posted on Author WKVI
Pulaski County Commissioners Larry Brady, Terry Young and Tracey Shorter
Pulaski County Commissioners Larry Brady, Terry Young and Tracey Shorter

The Pulaski County Commissioners Monday unanimously approved a zoning change to turn recreational and residential land back into farmland.

The advisory plan commission recently approved the request to rezone the former driving range at Moss Creek Golf Course from RR-1 to A-1, which means it can be tilled under and planted. The commissioners also approved the rezoning of six nearby lots in the Moss Creek Acres Subdivision from residential to agricultural use.

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Pulaski County Commissioners Still Waiting for Ambulance Answers

Posted on Author WKVI
Pulaski County Commissioners Larry Brady, Terry Young and Tracey Shorter
Pulaski County Commissioners Larry Brady, Terry Young and Tracey Shorter

An inspection of the Pulaski County EMS truck damaged in a Feb. 7 fire near Star City found numerous electrical problems with the rig. The county’s insurance claim for damage to the vehicle isn’t finalized yet. EMS Director Nikki Lowry says the $4,000 reimbursement for the contents is nowhere near adequate to cover the losses, as the 800 MHz radio alone will cost $4,300 to replace. Lowry has since done a complete inventory of supplies that were on the truck that are no longer usable and told the county commissioners she is tallying that now. The ambulance was parked at Wagner Performance Diesel Repair near Star City on Feb. 7 when another vehicle in the shop caught fire. Lowry said the county’s agent with Francesville-based Novotony Insurance told her to proceed with getting the truck fixed and they would deal with the building owner’s insurance company after the repairs were made. County attorney Kevin Tankersley says she needs to continue forwarding information to the agent as it becomes available and hold him accountable for resolving the matter. Continue reading →

Pulaski County Commissioners Set to Interview Job Applicants

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

The Pulaski County Commissioners will meet tomorrow in executive session to interview five candidates for the assistant EMS director job. The meeting will take place at 3 p.m. EDT at the courthouse. EMS Director Nikki Lowry asked the commissioners to conduct the interviews so she can avoid the appearance of favoritism, since she knows each of the five applicants personally. If the commissioners do the hiring, they must do so during a public meeting.

Former County Home Superintendent Sues Pulaski County Officials

Posted on Author WKVI

The former superintendent of Pleasant View Rest Home in Pulaski County is suing the commissioners, auditor and county attorney for defamation, slander, libel and invasion of privacy. Sandra Hurd’s lawsuit stems from the circumstances that led to her suspension with pay and subsequent termination last August. Her lawsuit claims she found a possible clerical error in reports filed with a state agency last July, notified them and asked how to fix it. Hurd contends the commissioners convened an executive session July 29th and accused her of committing Medicaid fraud. She filed the necessary paperwork the following day to correct the error, according to the suit, and the county was notified in writing on Aug. 22 that no fraud was committed. The commissioners fired Hurd during an emergency public meeting on Aug. 27th.

“She can be fired for screwing up these reports, which she admits she did, and she resulted in the county paying a fine,” county attorney Kevin Tankersley tells WKVI news. “These are all hard facts that nobody can dispute. The wrongful discharge has got no chance of winning, no chance. The defamation is equally bad, because it doesn’t say anything we said.”  Continue reading →

Pulaski County EMS In Limbo Waiting On Insurance Adjuster

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

Pulaski County EMS is down one ambulance until one damaged during a recent fire can be either certified and put back into service or totaled and replaced.

Director Nikki Lowry told the county commissioners Monday that the county’s insurance adjuster asked her to inspect the truck. Lowry said she’s not qualified to do anything more than determine whether it’s clean. The vendor from whom the county bought the most recent ambulance is willing to help if the county will bring the truck to Iowa.

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