County Commissioners Make Changes

After hearing numerous remarks and complaints about the need for an animal shelter and the lack of animal control, and a rebuttal of sorts from the animal control officer, all five Jasper County commissioners voted, with little debate, to immediately bring the animal control officer under the jurisdiction of the County Commission, rather than serving through the Sheriff’s Department.

That action was only one of numerous taken Tuesday evening as Russell Bennett served as Chairman for the first time.

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Mr. Bennett opened the meeting laying some ground rules. Obviously being aware of some problems in the past, he established some new guidelines for meetings. After the agenda and minutes are approved, people in the audience who have signed in will be allowed to make comments on agenda items.

That way the commission will hear from the public before it takes action, rather than afterwards. There will also be time near the end of the meeting for citizen’s comments. He also said the commissioners will discuss items before making motions, so they can better understand an issue before wording a motion to deal with it.

He gave the audience pointers on how to address the commission. He said each person should come up to the podium, state their name, and talk to the commissioners about their business. He said there will be no commissioner bashing; attacks on the board or individuals will not be allowed.
He introduced Sheriff Charles Roper to give the invocation, and said different preachers from throughout the county would be invited to offer the invocation at each commission meeting.

He explained that the county administrator would present each agenda item, and then the commissioners would discuss it.

Personnel
Commissioners reviewed a pay scale spreadsheet that showed a view of each employee and his or her rate of pay. The spreadsheet showed adjustments that were recommended to make for more parity in like jobs. After discussion and review, the commission adopted the new rates. Some employes will see no increase in pay, while others will see a substantial increase.

After the across the board raise employes were granted earlier this year, and the equalizing raises, the county will still have $12,000 of the budgeted funds for county personnel.

Commissioners also accepted the resignation of Public Works Superintendent Jack Rose, and named Larry Thurman to work as interim director.
Commissioners also accepted the resignation of Dennis Dean from the county Board of Assessors. That leaves three members on the assessors board—Chairman Joan Bell, Ron Richards, and Bessie Davis.

The commission has a hearing scheduled before Judge William Prior on February 25 about removing the members of the board of assessors.

They discussed the need to find new members to fill the vacancies, and made it clear new members would not be subject to the impending court process. No action was taken, but the county is interested in knowing of any citizens who would be interested in serving in that capacity, or on other boards or committees.

Tax Maintenance

Commissioners approved an expenditure of $7,475 for the tax maintenance office to get the Norman system up and running. Some $2,350 is needed immediately, with the rest required to get the system complete.

Commissioner Carl Pennamon said “if we deny this [expenditure] we’ll be viewed as hindering the office.” He stressed the need to move forward in that office. He raised the issue of the vacancies on the Board of Assessors when there are major undertakings afoot. There is a need to hire a chief appraiser, accept a bid for and begin a county wide revaluation and the commission just authorized a large expenditure.

During the citizens’ remarks towards the end of the meeting, Mrs. Jane McGinnis spoke and applauded Commissioner Pennamon for seeing the need to move forward. She expressed concern about the types of bids that were sought.

She said that companies were to bid two ways—one way the revaluation company would do the computer input, and the other way county employees would do it. She pointed out that much of the reason the office is in the shape it is in is that county employees have not stayed on top of the necessary input. She encouraged the county not to accept a bid that did not include putting the information into the county’s computers.

EMS Director

Commissioner Pennamon expressed concern about the position of Emergency Medical Service director. He said he was very unclear on the matter. He just learned this weekend that Mrs. Lori Hope is no longer working for the county. He said he remembered posing a question at the budget hearing about the position, and Ed West-brook, emergency sevices director, said the position was done away with.

Mr. Peevy said Mrs. Hope was offered the position of captain, which would have actaully given her a raise with less responsibility.

Mr. Pennamon said he did not remember abolishing the position. Mr. Peevy said he is researching the tapes. Commissioner Charles Hill said he was under the impression that funding for the position was in the budget.

Dr. Van Whaler, consultant, said his memory was that the issue for arose when the commission named Mr. Westbrook Emergency Services Director. When he was put in charge, she ceased being “director. However, she did serve as “supervisor” until the end of 2002.

Commissioner Pennamon said his concern was that the county handled things appropriately. He said “we can’t railroad people out of positions.”
He said when the minutes are located he wants to discuss it. He expressed his reservation about Mr. Westbrook being in charge of EMS when he is not medically qualified to do that job. Mr. Peevy said that Mr. Westbrook handles the administrative decisions, that each shift supervisor is responsible for medical care on his or her shift.

Mr. Peevy also said that three people were being trained to do EMS billing. He said there were errors last year, resulting in a collection rate of only 40 percent. A collection rate closer to 70 percent is more appropriate, he said.

Recreation

Jasper County Commissioners approved a recommendation by the Recreation Commission to hire jon Benson & associates for a park expansion plan.

The project entails expanding the local recreation department to the west, between the existing ball fields and the existing lake edge.
The program for expansion area includes two 300 football fields and one multi-use field for football and soccer, and will include a field house with restroom, and a walking/jogging path.
Handicap access is to be provided to the new ball fields from the parking lot area.

The purpose of the initial conceptual plan and cost estimate is to describe the intent and estimated construction cost of the project to the Board of Commissioners.

Don Shipp, recreation director, explained the proposal to the commissioners, and Recreation Commission member Jay McMichael was there to help answer questions. Commissioners approved the $3,500 expenditure with little discussion.

Cleaning Services
Mr. Peevy presented a copy of the requests for proposals for cleaning services for county buildings. The county is looking for someone to clean the new Courthouse addition, the annex, and the Griffin Tech building.

The proposal calls for the contractor to provide his own supplies and equipment. It outlines some of the responsibilities to make it clear what needs to be done. The bid packet has a breakdown of different duties that need to be performed, and the intervals at which the service is needed.
After Commissioner Bennett raised the issue of a military couple who has left the county to serve their country, and will be gone for three years, commissioners voted to have Walker Waste pick up their refuse container, and the county cease charging them while they are away in service to their country. The exception applies to any household where everyone will be gone for an extended period in the service of their country.

Prior to that discussion, Charles Forsythe had addressed the commission early in the meeting about the process of collecting delinquent garbage pick-up payments. After some discussion, Mrs. Peggy Billerman was called on to explain the process. She said that once someone becomes delinquent, they will receive a summons to appear in Magistrate Court. If they fail to appear, then a bench warrant is issued for failure to appear.
Those who do appear can sometimes set up payments. They do incur court costs of $120, and late fees, she explained.

Also during citizen’s comments Shelby Jean Morrison of the Jasper County Humane Society spoke to the commissioners about the lack of response she gets from the animal control officer. She told of a recent incident.
When the animal control officer came in later in the meeting, he explained how his hands are tied by the Department of Agriculture regulations. He said he cannot pick up an animal unless it is a threat to a human or another animal.

When the commissioners were discussing the need for animal control, and before taking the action to bring the animal control officer back under the County Commission jurisdiction, Commissioner Pennamon commented, “we get more concerns with animal control now than we did before we hired an officer.”

Chairman Bennett again expressed his desire for an animal control facility. He said he thinks the county could build one for basically the cost of materials. The county can do the work itself, with donated volunteer labor and prison labor. A local builder has offered to help, and others have expressed similar willingness.

Mr. Bennett, along with Commissioner Hill, Ray Gardner, Mr. Peevy, and Mr. Steele are to work together to come up with a plan for an animal shelter, and take the proposal back to the full commission for action.

In other action, commissioners:
•Heard a report from Mr. Peevy that the vendor he was looking at—Pitney Bowes—to use for mailing services would not allow a 30 day trail, so he is now looking at other vendors.
•Heard from James Harrell about how they had illegally gone into closed session at the January 6 meeting. Mr. Harrell said the point is, “if the highest government officials in the county don’t go by the law, how can expect people you appoint to follow the law?” He said he realizes that everyone wants to do good, but thought the commission could do a better job of conveying to the people of the county that they know how to do business. All the public wants, he said, is for you to go by the rules.

At the close of the regular meeting, commissioners voted to go into closed session for attorney-client matters.

After that, the board voted 4-1 to deny attorney fees for a citizen, John Wright Johnson, in an action concerning his property lines and a public road.