Pulaski County officials may receive the same information relayed to the Marshall County government bodies concerning funding for county roads.
Pulaski County Highway Department General Foreman Terry Ruff told the commissioners the county will have to scrap regular maintenance this year in order to fix roads damaged by the frost line. He says doing both would cost the county an additional $200,000. Ruff says 20 miles of roads will be worked on this year in the southern part of the county. Chip and seal work will be done, and severely damaged roads will be ground up and reconstructed.
A county road will be vacated in Pulaski County.
Terry Ruff, who is the acting General Foreman at the Pulaski County Highway Department, said the county is spending a lot of resources on the dirt road at 1150 West between 900 South and 1000 South that basically acts as a path between two feuding property owners. Ruff is leery of accidents on the road and who would be responsible if there’s an issue. He said it’s not even suitable to plow.
A gravel road in Pulaski County is open again after county highway department crews made repairs to the surface. Continue reading
If it’s not a county-owned road, then the county highway should not be doing any work on it.
Pulaski County Attorney Kevin Tankersley gave that advice to Terry Ruff from the highway department when a question of road work on Swayze Drive, a private lane, was initiated. Ruff said he’s gotten some calls to help plow the road, fix the road, and help a truck that is stuck on the road. He added that he’s concerned about the residents on that road for the purpose of getting emergency vehicles to those who live on that lane.
The Pulaski County Commissioners said communication is getting better between the board members and the highway department.
It was announced in January that things needed to be changed at the highway department. The commissioners last week said the main issues were communication, and how to deal with problems and the policy book. That was according to Commissioner Terry Young, who spoke on behalf of the commissioners when the question was posed.
The Pulaski County Commissioners and the Pulaski County Council will meet in joint session tonight.
One item the joint board is expected to discuss is the change in the salary ordinance in the highway department. When the commissioners met on Jan. 19, the members voted 2-1 to appoint a person in the position that is second in command at the department. The highway superintendent normally makes that appointment, but Commissioner Bud Krohn, Jr., who spearheaded the move, called it a political change. He presented the change for a vote. Terry Young also voted in favor of the change while Commission President Larry Brady was the dissenting vote.
The Pulaski County Highway Department crew has been busy working on spring projects. Highway Superintendent Mark Fox said a lot of grading and culvert work has been done.
Commission President Larry Brady asked about the miles of roads that will be paved this summer and Fox said the winter really took a toll on roads this year.
Fox said this work shouldn’t take more than two months and a detour is in place utilizing State Road 14 and County Road 200 East to circumvent the bridge.
The project is funded entirely with local funds, Fox explained, and the bridge will soon be repaired and reopened.
The legal battle over longtime Pulaski County Highway Superintendent Kenny Becker’s firing continues. He was reappointed by the county commissioners on January 7th, suspended with pay on January 22nd so allegations raised by a current and a former employee could be looked into and reinstated as highway manager on February 4th following an investigation by an outside consultant. Commissioner Larry Brady served as interim superintendent, and Becker was subsequently fired by the commissioners on March 4th. He’s since hired an attorney and filed a $500,000 notice of tort claim against the county commissioners for slander and defamation of character.
Pulaski County attorney Kevin Tankersley reluctantly released a copy of the consultant’s investigation report after being ordered to do so by the state Public Access Counselor’s office but redacted the names of Becker’s accusers. The new filing seeks to force the release of that information, noting “the Commissioners have failed to comply fully with the requirements of the Open Door Law.” It also states the names are necessary for possible legal action by Becker for slander and defamation of character.
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.
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.
