Pulaski County Auditor Makes Plea for Additional Help; Council Makes No Motion
The council, however, expressed their reservations regarding the hire of another employee, and suggested that Garling look into ways to cut down on the amount of work required in the office. The county will be installing a new time system to clock employees in and out, which would reduce the amount of work done in the auditor’s office. On top of that, the council recommended that Garling cross-train her employees, allowing them to handle multiple tasks within the office.
Pulaski Council Again Denies Commissioners’ Request for iPads
Shorter said the devices would cost the county $4259 for the purchase of the four iPads, a one-time charge of $199 for two years of protection, and an additional $1404 per year to include the devices on the county’s current shared data plan through Verizon. Shorter said that because the commissioners fund had carried over an amount from last year through various cuts in county expenses by both the commissioners and the county council, she felt that this expense is justified – especially when considering the benefit she claims the iPads would have for the county officials.
Pulaski Council Approves Salary Ordinance; Unfreezes Salaries
The Pulaski County Council unfroze salaries for three Pulaski County positions after the council held a lengthy discussion on the revised salary ordinance. The council dropped the freezes for the economic development director, health department registrar, and head cook at the sheriff’s department. However, the discussion over the salary of the jail matron remains, as the council decided to table the discussion over that salary.
Pulaski Council Approves Appropriation for Rail Study
The Pulaski County Council Monday night approved a motion to advertise for a $52,000 appropriation to allow a design engineer firm to conduct studies to find suitable locations to improve rail access in the industrial park in Pulaski County. Nathan Origer, executive director of the Pulaski County Community Development Commission, told the council that the county’s strategic plan – which had been composed in 2010 – calls for development of the agricultural-technology alternative-energy industrial park on the west side of the county, which would be served by rail.
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 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 Council Sets Part-Time Wage for Animal Control Director
The Pulaski County Council this week held a lengthy discussion over how much the county should pay per hour for a part-time animal control officer. Commission President Tracey Shorter approached the council alongside the newly-hired animal control director Sarah Thompson with a request that the council set a part-time wage for the position, asking for a rate of $15.17 – the same rate as a full-time employee but without benefits.
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 County Council Responds to Several Requests By Commissioners
The Pulaski County Council on Monday night heard a number of requests that had been approved by the county commissioners, but the council wasn’t so eager to approve some of them.
The county commissioners last week approved a purchase for the surveyor’s office to rent a printer capable of printing 11-by-17-inch pages, a necessity for the office. At a cost of $65.10 extra per month for the equipment, the council was not required to make a motion to approve the cost because the money was available in the budget. However, the council gave their approval for the equipment to be paid for using funds from the commissioners budget.
Pulaski County Council Denies Additional Staffing For Auditor
The Pulaski County Auditor’s Office isn’t getting any additional help any time soon, as the county council this week denied a request from Auditor Shelia Garling to hire an additional full-time employee.
Garling said her request was denied because the county council felt the office did not need any additional staffing, despite the auditor’s office being down one full-time employee. Fortunately, she said things should change at the start of the new year, when she expects to have three full-time employees and two part-time employees.
Pulaski County Commissioners Discuss Recycling at Recent Meeting
There was some heated discussion regarding the recycling center’s purchase of aluminum and other recyclables at the last Pulaski County Commissioners meeting. Ed Clark, of the Pulaski County Recycling Center, approached the commissioners and mentioned his interest in allowing the recycling center to once again purchase aluminum from county residents and businesses.
Pulaski County Council Approves Sheriff’s Request to Replace One Deputy
After much discussion at its recent meeting, the Pulaski County Council approved Sheriff Michael Gayer’s request to replace one departing deputy.
The Council approved the hiring of two deputies to fill vacant positions that are funded in this year’s budget, but Sheriff Gayer will hold off on one of the hires until the Council examines the legality of filling the position. Hiring two new deputies would give the County nine patrol deputies.
