Pulaski County Commissioners to Hear from ‘Save the Courthouse’ Representative Tonight

Posted on Author Michael Gallenberger

The Pulaski County Commissioners will hear from a representative of the Save the Courthouse group tonight. The group formed after county officials unveiled a proposal last month to demolish the county’s 123-year-old courthouse and replace it with an addition to the Justice Center. At the time, Maintenance Director Jeff Johnston said the plan would address security and accessibility concerns, as well as a number of other issues, at about a third of the cost of renovating and expanding the existing courthouse.

Continue reading →

Pulaski County EMS Director to Step Down Friday, Interim Director Appointed

Posted on Author Michael Gallenberger

Pulaski County EMS Director Bryan Corn made his resignation official during Monday’s county commissioners meeting. “I did send you guys a letter,” he explained. “I’ll go ahead, and we’ll make it public. We’ll make it official. I will be resigning my position as the EMS director. That will be effective this coming Friday, December 7.”

Continue reading →

Pulaski County May Consider Lease Purchase Agreement for Next Ambulance

Posted on Author Michael Gallenberger

 

Financing options for a new ambulance were presented to the Pulaski County Commissioners last month. Angie Deming with Republic First National out of Rochester explained that the company specializes in lease purchase agreements. “Really, a lease purchase is no different than a loan,” she explained. “The only thing that makes this program different than a loan is that a loan is going to have a fixed term; regardless of what happens here at the county, you’re required to make the payment. However, with the lease purchase plan, it has a clause that’s called a non-appropriation clause in it.”

Continue reading →

Pulaski County EMS Seeks Construction Quotes for Winamac Ambulance Garage Expansion

Posted on Author Michael Gallenberger

 

Pulaski County Emergency Medical Services is seeking quotes for an addition to its Winamac ambulance garage. After having had a chance to review updated expansion plans from EMS Director Bryan Corn, the commissioners had no questions or issues with the proposal during last week’s meeting. They gave Corn the go-ahead to start seeking cost estimates. Continue reading →

Pulaski Council to Consider Wage and Salary Revisions, Budget Transfers, Additional Appropriations

Posted on Author Michael Gallenberger

A shortfall in the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department’s overtime budget has the sheriff asking to move some money around. Sheriff Jeff Richwine told the county commissioners last week that he plans to transfer a total of $17,600 into his overtime budget. “Some of this is due to people not getting moved in the matrix in time, so we have to go back and do back pay, so that’s some of it,” he explained. “Some of it’s overtime.” Richwine said that money will come out of the Dispatch Salary, Equipment Repair, and Part-Time Cooks line items.

Continue reading →

Pulaski County Council Takes Steps to Make Donation Funds Available for EMS Department’s Use

Posted on Author Michael Gallenberger

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.”

Continue reading →

Pulaski County EMS Director Presents Updated Proposal for Winamac Ambulance Garage Expansion

Posted on Author Michael Gallenberger

Updated plans for an addition to the Winamac ambulance garage were presented to the Pulaski County Commissioners Monday. EMS Director Bryan Corn said he’s scaled the proposal back significantly from what former EMS Director Nikki Lowry had requested last year. “We took the porch off. We don’t need the porch,” he said. “We took all the interior rooms out. We don’t need the interior rooms. We can make it work without having the interior rooms in there. So essentially what this would be is just an open addition onto the garage.”

Continue reading →

Pulaski County Council Takes Action to Correct Oversights in Salary Matrix, Address CDC Pay Issues

Posted on Author Michael Gallenberger

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.

Continue reading →

Pulaski County EMS Director Proposes Adding Training Program Finances into Department Budget

Posted on Author Michael Gallenberger

Pulaski County Emergency Medical Services is taking steps to formalize the finances of its training program. During a public hearing on the county’s 2019 budget last week, EMS Director Bryan Corn told the county council that his department is certified to offer emergency medical technician classes. But he said the training program’s finances haven’t been tracked properly.

Continue reading →

Pulaski County EMS Staff Put on County Salary Matrix, Despite Opposition

Posted on Author Michael Gallenberger

Some members of Pulaski County’s EMS staff are getting significant pay raises, following a salary matrix update approved by the county council Monday. That was in spite of some harsh criticism from EMS Director Bryan Corn. “Before you vote, I just want to ask you guys, each and every one of you, do you guys fully understand and are you guys fully okay with what’s going to happen when you do this?” he asked council members.

Continue reading →