Pulaski County Clerk Christi Hoffa would get a pay raise for her duties with the county election board, under its 2019 budget proposal. Hoffa reviewed the proposal with the rest of the election board Monday. She explained that much of the budget work was done before board members Jon Frain and Laura Bailey were replaced by Patty Sullivan and Jessye Gilley.
Pulaski Highway Department to Return Unused Grant Funds, Following Bridge Project
The replacement of a bridge on Pulaski County Road 700 North over Bogus run has come in under budget. Highway Superintendent Terry Ruff told the county commissioners Monday that the final amount ended up being over $47,000 less than expected.
Agenda Error Prompts Pulaski Council to Hold Off on Salary Matrix Updates Again
For the second month in a row, the Pulaski County Council has deferred action on updates to the county’s salary matrix. This time, it was apparently due to an error in the meeting agenda.
Pulaski County Commissioners Vote Down Wheel Tax
Pulaski County will not be charging its residents a wheel tax in the near future. The issue was discussed during last week’s joint county council and commissioners meeting, after the Bureau of Motor Vehicles asked for an update.
Pulaski County Council Approves Coroner’s Office Fees
The Pulaski County Coroner’s Office’s new fees have been approved by the county council. Under the new arrangement, any additional copies of the coroner’s verdict, coroner’s report, and autopsy report will now cost $25 for the three-document package. A $25 disposition permit will also be charged before bodies may be released for cremation.
Pulaski County Council Approves Budget Transfers for Sheriff’s Department Overtime
Making up shortfalls in the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department’s overtime budget was the goal of a couple budget transfers approved by the county council Monday.
More than $18,000 was moved from various line items, at the request of Sheriff Jeff Richwine. “These are all to cover overtime. Well, the part-time clerical’s not, but the other is overtime for deputies,” he explained. “And then one’s overtime for dispatchers.”
Pulaski County Council Discusses Shortfalls in Part-Time Pay Budgets
The Pulaski County Council decided Monday not to appropriate additional funds to pay part-time staff. Last month, Maintenance Supervisor Jeff Johnston asked council members for permission to spend another $30,000 for part-time help. At the time, he reminded them that money had been cut from the 2018 budget so the state would approve it, with the understanding that he could come back later to request enough for the rest of the year.
Pulaski County Council Makes Former Anvil & Saw Property Eligible for Tax Abatement
A light manufacturing business may soon be moving into the old Anvil & Saw property on Pulaski County Road 200 South, and the county council Monday took the first step towards granting it a tax abatement.
Pulaski County Council Tables Monterey Library Bond Resolution until Next Month
A bond resolution to fund improvements to the Monterey-Tippecanoe Township Public Library was tabled by the Pulaski County Council Monday. The measure would let the library borrow up to $475,000, although it’s hoped the actual amount will end up being closer to $385,000.
Pulaski County Council to Consider Hiring Outside Help with Adjusting Tax Structure
The Pulaski County Council is not likely to address issues with its local income tax structure in time to have an impact on the 2019 budget. A sudden drop in revenues from the “LIT Levy Freeze” tax was brought to the county council’s attention in September of 2017. In the months that followed, there were some discussions about working with an accounting firm to address the issues, but little progress was made.
Pulaski County Council to Consider Additional Appropriations for Part-Time Pay
The Pulaski County Council will be taking steps tonight to make sure money is available to pay part-time employees. A shortage of full-time EMS employees at the beginning of the year took a huge toll on the department’s part-time budget, according to EMS Director Bryan Corn. “Staffing was kind of rough there for a while,” he told the county commissioners last week. “We had quite a few full-time openings that we had to utilize part-time staff to fill that, to essentially keep the 911 trucks going, keep the 911 trucks in service.”
Changes May Be Coming to Pulaski County Sheriff’s Deputies’ Retirement Plan
Pulaski County Sheriff Jeff Richwine is looking to overhaul deputies’ retirement plan. He told the county council last week the current system lets deputies retire after 20 years and offers little incentive for them to work beyond that. “Several of the last hires have all been under 25,” Richwine said, “so if we want to keep those folks, I guess, past 20 years – I just started looking at their retirement. It’s pretty poor. After 20 years, they keep paying into it, and it doesn’t go up for them.”
Pulaski County Commissioners Finalize Paperwork for Masonic Lodge Purchase
The Pulaski County Commissioners took action Monday to finalize the purchase of the former Winamac Masonic Lodge. Last month, the council and commissioners approved a joint ordinance to buy the building for $50,000 from the Royal Center Masonic Lodge. The plan is to convert it into a dedicated morgue and coroner’s office, something the county has lacked until now.
Speeding Drivers Continue to be Observed on Pulaski County Road 250 North
The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department continues to keep an eye on County Road 250 North. Deputies have been monitoring traffic, after a complaint of speeding vehicles was brought to the county council and commissioners.
Pulaski County Council Defers Action on Salary Matrix Update
Confusion remains over Pulaski County’s salary matrix, in spite of a new set of written guidelines. Last month, the county council adopted a written set of “Matrix Rules” to help department heads interpret the pay structure that’s already in place. But during last week’s meeting, Auditor Laura Wheeler said the matrix itself would have to be updated to comply with the guidelines, and presented a proposed update to the salary ordinance.
Pulaski County Officials Continue Working on Masonic Lodge Purchase
The Pulaski County Coroner’s Office is pushing the county council and commissioners to finalize the purchase of the former Winamac Masonic Lodge as close to the original deadline as possible. Last month, the council and commissioners approved a joint ordinance to purchase the building for $50,000 from the Royal Center Masonic Lodge. The plan is to convert it into a dedicated morgue and coroner’s office, which the county has lacked until now.
Pulaski County Council May Look at Property Taxes to Resolve Budget Shortfalls
The Pulaski County Council is working to make sure the maintenance department has enough money to pay its part-time employees through the end of the year. Maintenance Supervisor Jeff Johnston reminded council members Monday that they’d cut money for part-time pay when they put together this year’s budget. “You guys, at that time, told me to come back halfway through the year and request enough to cover the rest of the year,” he explained. “It’s for $30,016 for Part-Time Help.”
Pulaski County Council to Consider Bond for Monterey Library Improvements
The Monterey-Tippecanoe Township Public Library is looking to make up to $400,000 in building improvements, and it’s planning to issue a bond to pay for them. Library Director Renita Potthoff discussed the project with the Pulaski County Council Monday. “In the old Carnegie building, which will be 100 years old this year, we’re having a lot of moisture and water damage,” she explained. “That needs to be all water-proofed. And that’s in the hundred-year-old building that we’re just trying to preserve.” A new well may also be added.
Pulaski County Courthouse Elevator Project Ahead of Schedule
The Pulaski County Courthouse’s new elevator may be done ahead of schedule. That’s what Maintenance Supervisor Jeff Johnston told the county council Monday. “If you guys remember, it had a deadline of October, to be complete by the beginning of October,” he explained, “but we’re looking at the middle/end of August to the beginning of September, and we’ll be done. So really good progress there.” Johnston said all the block has been delivered to start building the new shaft.
Pulaski County Council Considers Part-Time Pay Issues
A part-time employee in the Pulaski County Maintenance Department will continue to make $15 an hour and won’t have to pay back a $2-per-hour raise. That was the consensus reached by the county council Monday, although no formal action was taken.
