Attorney Anticipates Filing Tort Claim Notice Against Pulaski County Officials
Pulaski County Commissioners fire highway superintendent, maintenance supervisor in executive session
Embattled highway superintendent Kenny Becker and longtime maintenance supervisor Morry DeMarco were both fired over violations of the employee policy manual. Becker was suspended with pay last month in response to complaints about how the department is run from sources who have been allowed to remain anonymous. An investigation by the commissioners found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing, and Becker was reinstated as county highway manager on Feb. 4 under the supervision of commissioner Larry Brady.
“ Mr. Becker was commended on his role in helping with some of the positive changes at the Highway Department in the last three weeks. Mr. Becker was presented with new policy violations that have been observed by Commissioner Brady since his oversight. The issue of Mr. Becker’s Knowledge of the policy book and his observance of it were discussed. Commissioner Brady as acting department head informed Mr. Becker of his removal as general manager and termination of his employment with the county. This is in no way a negative reflection on Mr. Becker as a good moral person. Mr. Becker has proved to be a hard working individual with a good deal of specialized ability,” the release states.
Calls to the commissioners seeking comment were not immediately returned. They have previously refused to answer any questions and have directed all inquires be made in writing to county attorney Kevin Tankersley.
Becker defends employee time clock actions
Former Pulaski County Highway Superintendent Kenny Becker says the employees who were leaving 15 minutes early each day were still on the clock even though they were no longer on the county’s property. He said they were driving snow plows home due to the threat of inclement weather, and they could not drive county vehicles on their own time due to liability concerns. County commissioners learned of the practice after Becker’s suspension last month and voted Monday to dock each of the employees 15 minutes of time in order to balance the books. Becker was reinstated to full pay eight days after his suspension but is working as “manager” of the department under the supervision of commissioner Larry Brady. Commissioners discussed the matter at length during Tuesday’s heated meeting. Brady said he’s checked with the county’s insurance agent, and the employees are covered even when they are not on the clock. He says the coverage follows the vehicle, and not the employee. Commissioners acknowledged their investigation found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing.
Pulaski County Highway Department Manager Seeks Clarification
The recent action by Pulaski County commissioners to strip the highway superintendent of his title and make him the manager has raised questions about the chain of command for road repairs. Commissioner Larry Brady is serving as acting superintendent until lingering policy questions are resolved. Meanwhile, Kenny Becker says a couple of roads need to be repaired, including a section of 200 North between 500 and 600 West on his property where a ditch is caving in. Becker told the commissioners if work isn’t done soon, the county may lose the entire road.
Highway department saga dominates Pulaski Commissioners meeting
Information is slowly emerging about the recent suspensions with pay of longtime Pulaski County Highway Superintendent Kenny Becker and office manager Lin Morrison and subsequent investigation by the county commissioners. Both are back to work, although Becker has not been restored to the superintendent’s job. He’s handling the day-to-day duties and reporting to commissioner Larry Brady. Continue reading
Highway department saga dominates Pulaski Commissioners meeting
Information is slowly emerging about the recent suspensions with pay of longtime Pulaski County Highway Superintendent Kenny Becker and office manager Lin Morrison and subsequent investigation by the county commissioners. Both are back to work, although Becker has not been restored to the superintendent’s job. He’s handling the day-to-day duties and reporting to commissioner Larry Brady. The suspensions occurred after commissioners received reports of criminal activity, which county attorney Kevin Tankersley acknowledges were unfounded. Continue reading
Pulaski Council Denies Commissioners’ iPad Request
The Pulaski County Council last night denied a request from the county commissioners to purchase four 64GB iPads, activation, and insurance at a cost of approximately $5000 for the devices and one year of coverage.
The council discussed whether the commissioners had a sound plan or if they were “putting the cart before the horse,” after a council member presented a quote from AT&T that was right around the same price but provided two years of coverage. On top of that, the information from AT&T indicated that the company would provide training – something that the commissioners’ proposal from Venture Wireless did not provide.
Pulaski Council, Commissioners Discuss Salary Ordinance
The Pulaski County Council met with the commissioners in a joint session Monday night to discuss the salary ordinance, which sparked some discussion regarding a pay increase for the sheriff’s department that had once been on the proposed ordinance, but was stricken from the latest draft.
Pulaski Highway Supt. Reinstated; Commissioners Meet Strong Public Opposition
The Pulaski County Commissioners met some serious hostility last night during their regular meeting when several dozen people packed into the commissioners’ meeting room in support of Highway Superintendent Kenny Becker, who had been suspended with pay following an investigation by the commissioners into the highway department. The crowd was so boisterous that the commissioners were forced to adjourn their meeting early, having covered only one item on the agenda.
Pulaski County Commissioners, Council Change Venue for Tonight’s Meeting
The Pulaski County Commissioners will meet tonight at 6 p.m. ET for their regularly scheduled meeting, but there has been a change of venue because officials expect a large crowd due to a controversial agenda item. Both the commissioners meeting and the meeting of the county council at 5 p.m. ET have been moved to the circuit courtroom, located on the second floor of the Pulaski County Courthouse.
Pulaski County Attorney Says Employee Suspension Will Be Resolved Monday
The Pulaski County Commissioners met in an executive session Wednesday afternoon to discuss a personnel matter, and County Attorney Kevin Tankersley said the meeting was called to discuss information in regards to two county employees who had been suspended with pay. Officials have not released any information as to why Highway Superintendent Kenny Becker and secretary Lin Morrison were suspended, but said a decision as to the employees’ fate will be made at the next regular meeting on Feb. 4.
Two Pulaski County Officials Suspended With Pay; Commissioners Silent as to Why
Two Pulaski County officials have been suspended with pay, but neither the county commissioners nor their attorney have released any clue as to why. The county commissioners recently suspended Highway Superintendent Kenny Becker and secretary Lin Morrison with pay following an investigation, and have appointed Rex Cudworth as the interim superintendent.
The commissioners also ordered that the locks be changed at the county highway garage, but will not elaborate on what prompted the action. The investigation continues, however, as the pair is still suspended with pay. Personnel matters must be discussed in an executive session, but any vote to terminate an employee or suspend an employee without pay must be taken at a public meeting.
Pulaski Commissioners Approve Inspection Contract for Monterey Bridge
The Pulaski County Commissioners this week signed a revised contract for the inspection of the Monterey Bridge. Jeff Larrison of United Consulting told the commissioners this week that the original construction cost estimate came in at around $1.55 million, but the bids came in lower than expected, prompting a new revision to the inspection contract with a lower price.
Pulaski Commissioners Approve Request for Bids for New Treasurer Computers
The Pulaski County Commissioners this week approved a request from Treasurer Lynn Wilder to advertise for bids to purchase new computers for her office. Wilder explained her office is in heavy need of some new computers, as their current equipment is more than six years old.
Pulaski Commissioners Accept Bid for Electrical Work at Courthouse
The days of outdated electrical wiring in the Pulaski County Courthouse will soon come to an end, as the commissioners this week approved a motion to accept a bid for the second stage of electrical upgrades to the courthouse. Maintenance Director Morry DeMarco presented to the commissioners last night four bids for the electrical work to be reviewed, and after a discussion, the commissioners accepted a bid from Roger’s Electric Company of Medaryville.
Pulaski Commissioners Request iPads; Discussion to Continue
The tablet trend continues as more and more government, education, and private entities switch to tablets such as the iPad to allow employees to access information more conveniently. This time, it’s the Pulaski County Commissioners who are seeking to employ iPads to assist them with their duties.
Commission President Tracey Shorter approached the county council at their meeting this week requesting the purchase of iPads from Venture Wireless to help them work more efficiently. Shorter said it is hard to keep up with the information that is provided in their information packets, and that inconvenience translated to a loss for the county when the commissioners approved the purchase of a new truck for the sheriff’s department before reviewing the bids. Consequently, the commissioners spent more money on a Chevrolet model from Braun Chevrolet than they would have if they had gone with a different bid for a Ford model from Jim Dobson Ford.
Pulaski Commissioners Send Several Requests to Council
The Pulaski County Commissioners last week approved a number of requests pending council approval, including a lease for rental of a copier for the surveyor’s office.
Kris Smith of Copiers Plus addressed the commissioners to explain what the company does and go over the equipment currently located in the surveyor’s office. Smith explained he was called a few years ago to provide copiers, printers and other equipment, as well as maintenance of those items. Smith presented a proposal for the rental of a machine capable of printing 11-by-17-inch pages, a necessity for the office.
Pulaski County Currently Without a Notary; Discussion Tabled
The Pulaski County Commissioners last week tabled a discussion regarding the possible hiring of two notaries, after Surveyor Jenny Keller pointed out that she was the only notary in the courthouse, and is now unable to perform those duties because of her new responsibilities as an officer holder.
Keller noted that another courthouse employee has been registered as a notary in another county, but notaries are statewide, so Keller feels she should be able to perform those duties in Pulaski County. However, even if that is not the case, the registration process for becoming a notary only involves a $60 fee and is done electronically.
Pulaski Commissioners Give Auditor Tentative Green Light for Building Rental
In Pulaski County, the discussion continued regarding moving the assessor’s office, currently located in the courthouse, to a building across the street. Assessor Holly VanDerAa approached the commissioners again this week for an update, having sent each commissioner a letter proposing that the building, owned by Geneva McKinley, be used as the new assessor’s office.
