Commission Has Busy Work Session

Jasper County Commissioners learned Monday evening that the Jasper County Animal Shelter is now complete, and they also learned that their concepts for staffing the facility and goals for animal control were not crystal clear.

County Manager Greg Williams asked commissioners how they wanted him to proceed in staffing the facility now that it was complete. He also suggested installation of a crematory.

Until the facility was complete, unwanted animals were taken to Jackson, and Jasper County has been paying Butts County as much as $750 a week for animal control. The Butts County facility is used for storage as well as cremation and disposal.

Mr. Williams did not have the figures available for what it would cost to handle those items in house compared to what it cost to take them to Butts County. Butts County has requested that Jasper purchase at least an eight foot freezer for storage of Jasper animals until time for cremation.

Mr. Williams is expected to get some figures together and return to the county commission.
As for staffing, Commission Chairman Jack Bernard said he had envisioned the animal control attendant doing dual duty as “dog catcher” and facility attendant. He said he thought the position should have hours such as 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., with an hour for lunch, which would allow for the center to be open late for persons to claim their animals.

Saying the county has too many employees already, he suggested perhaps another county employee could man the facility when the animal control person is out. For example, whoever is answering the phone at Public Works could perhaps do double duty and answer calls for PWD and animal control.

During the agenda comment segment of the meeting, Judy Claborn had complained to the commissioners about her dog being taken by animal control. She said hers was a farm dog that she had taken in eight years earlier when it strayed to her home.

She said that the dog was on her property when it was picked up and a neighbor even offered to take possession of the dog from the animal control representative. She said that the animal control person told her she was protecting her dog.
Mrs. Claborn said she did not think that was what animal control was about. She thought they were to pick up obvious strays, not people’s pets, she said.

While discussing animal control, Commissioner Carl Pennamon said he thought the objective of establishing animal control was to respond to complaints, not to patrol the roads looking for pets.

Commissioners made little comment other than to offer their sympathy that Mrs. Claborn’s dog was currently missing.

Also during the agenda comments, commissioners heard from Mary Patrick who commented that she had spent 20 minutes in the commission office one day last week, and that she was not greeted, and none of the employees appeared to be working. She said, “Nobody seems to supervise anybody.” She also questioned private phone lines in the offices.
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Commissioners heard from Mr. Williams that as part of the job survey and classification study that the University of Georgia is scheduled to do later this summer, efforts associated with that will begin within the next couple of weeks with the Board of Commissioners staff. It was addressed on Mon-day’s work session agenda as “reorganization of administrative staff.”

Commissioner Pennamon then asked who was currently writing job descriptions. Mr. Williams said the person doing the hiring creates the description.

Mr. Pennamon expressed his displeasure about a recent hire. He said that the county had, through a temporary service, used one individual to assist in maintenance for the last eight or nine months. When it was decided to make that a permanent position, it was advertised.

Mr. Pennamon said the person who had fulfilled the requirements of the job for the last eight months did not even get an interview. He further said that the person was told he no longer had a job after he had clocked out for the day…it was not professionally handled.

Mr. Pennamon said he was confused because we have a person who lives here who was doing the job, and Human Resources decides to bring someone in from Alabama to fill the position.

During the discussion, Mr. Bernard said that “We hired a county manager to run the day-to-day operations, and he manages the people.”

After referring to how the temporary worker learned he no longer had a job, Mr. Pennamon said that a lack of courtesy abounds in the county offices, and it is a reflection on the commissioners. He said, “If we don’t change, it’s our heads.”

The commissioners delayed discussion of SPLOST roads until next Monday’s regular meeting. However, Mr. Bernard repeated what he had said previously, “We need to seriously consider hiring a part-time engineer.” He said the county is going to be spending $9.5 million in road funds, and he thinks it would be cost effective to hire an engineer.

Mr. Williams said the county could retain an engineer then pay by the job rather than hiring one. They summarily rejected the option of contracting with an engineering firm to oversee the projects. That proposal would cost about 10 percent of the total project, and they feel they can get it done for much less.

Mr. Bernard said that the county needs to reduce administrative staff to fund an engineer.
In discussion of the Service Delivery Strategy, Mr. Williams assured commissioners that the SDS is accurate. There is a narrative that accompanies it, he said, that is somewhat outdated. But, the SDS itself, which outlines which entity provides which service, is accurate, he said. Monticello officials signed the agreement months ago, but the county was not ready to. The SDS must be signed before the county can use the Comprehensive Plan that has been designed.

Attorney John Nix was not at Monday’s meeting, but he had sent word that the county really needs to sign this document.

Mr. Nix’s payment was also a topic of discussion. When he as first hired last year, he was paid $1,000 per month for meetings and routine items, and an hourly figure for work beyond that. Currently he is billing the county a straight hourly rate of $160 per hour. Commissioners want to discuss the fees with Mr. Nix before agreeing to pay.

Commissioners reviewed the financial statements for the first three months of 2006. Chief Financial Officer Susan Raynor explained why certain items were over budget, for example a capital expenditure will throw off the percentage for the year, although the department might actually be completely within budget.

Superior Court is over budget, and Mr. Bernard again complained about the high rates charged by local attorneys for indigent defense. The county pays into the indigent defense fund, and still has bills from several local attorneys.
The commission wants to meet with Butch Moore who is in charge of the indigent defense for Jasper County and see if he can offer some answers to their questions.

Commissioners were again presented an ordinance establishing county manager authority, and will presumably vote on it next Monday.

Chris Anderson of Planning and Zoning said he had two text amendments for the BOC to consider. The board will hold public hearings on them at their meeting Monday before considering them for adoption. One is a text amendment requiring wells to be at least 50 feet from the property line, and the other will require all new subdivisions to have a minimum square footage requirement of 1,800.

Commissioners also reviewed the proposed new fee schedule.

Commissioners discussed the van used for the prison detail. It burned up three months ago, and the county has been paying for the service but cannot receive it if no vehicle is available. Mr. Williams explained the problems he had encountered in trying to purchase a van from state surplus, and said he was still trying.

Commissioners agreed that more funds needed to be allocated, if necessary, so that they can move forward with this.

Mr. Williams told board members that he wants to do away with the monthly payroll, encompassing those persons in the bi-weekly payroll. The county pays a payroll service, and Mr. Williams estimated the cost for the extra check run to be about $125 a month. The monthly check only affects about a dozen people, he explained, five of whom are the commissioners.

Commissioner Pennamon opposed the change, and Chairman Bernard and Commissioner Bob Yarbrough were in favor of it. Commissioner Charles Hill didn’t speak out, and Commissioner Greg Johnson left the meeting early.

Doug Sorenson approached the commissioners about a U.S. Tennis Association grant for tennis courts at the local recreation department. Commissioners instructed him to meet with the recreation commission and let the proposal come from that entity.