Commission OKs Spending Cuts

The Jasper County Commissioners breezed through their evening meeting Monday, with few items requiring much discussion.

Commissioner Mary Patrick suggested several cost-cutting measures which the commissioners considered independently. One, which the commissioners said they thought they had already passed, said no overtime will be allowed, except in an emergency. Then comp time off must be taken. The Emergency Medical Service (EMS) is exempt. That passed unanimously.

Also approved was enforcing the vehicle policy approved on January 20, 2009 which prohibits employees taking their vehicles home (except in emergency).

Her suggestion to lower the mileage rate paid from 50 cents per mile to 25 cents failed, as did her motion to cut board members pay from $75 per meeting to $50. That would apply to planning and zoning, tax assessors, and others.

They agreed to remove water coolers from the offices, and to put a freeze on all purchases that are not absolutely necessary. They also agreed to designate one county employee as a notary, and if that employee is not available people needing something notarized can go to one of the constitutional officers. The notary fee went up this year from $30 for four years to $120 for four years.
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They also agreed to declare numerous items at the public works department surplus and put them on a website, GovDeals.com for sale. There is a 7.5 percent fee and that is all to use the site. The purchaser pays shipping.

They also agreed that if any department or constitutional officer wanted to spend money over-budget on a line item, he or she must find another line item to take it from.

Emergency Management and 911 Director Melissa Slocumb came before the board to discuss an Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) to install one more weather siren and a reverse 911 system. It required a good deal of discussion as the local match for the last siren grant has not yet been raised.

That match was $11,000, and a group at Turtle Cove is to raise one-half, and a group at Bear Creek is to raise half. Neither has turned money over to the county yet, and there is concern that the Bear Creek group will not be able to raise its portion.

The local match on the new grant is $3,633 in cash and an equal amount in in-kind work. The new grant will provide the county with an up-to-date reverse 911 system that will call all land lines and registered cell phones in the county within 20 minutes in the event of an emergency. It is in internet based system, said Mrs. Slocumb, so the county will be able to eliminate a couple of phone lines for a small savings. The county will have to pay an annual fee to update and service the system.

As the commissioners were discussing it, Commissioner Jack Bernard said approval is a no-brainer, as the reverse 911 is priceless in an emergency, and that even though the county may not see the need now, if there is an emergency, it could save lives. Commissioner Bernard said he had lived in Louisiana, in Cajun country, and everyone knew what happened there, referring to Hurricane Katrina five years ago.

Commissioner Patrick agreed it is a no-brainer, if the county could find a line-item to take the match from, but indicated that there are no extra funds. (It will not have to be paid until 2011.) The purchase was approved, 3-2, with Commissioners Patrick and Carl Pennamon dissenting.

In other action, commissioners:

•Approved a proclamation declaring this Sunday, Sept. 26, Meso Awareness Day in Jasper County. (See proclamation, page 10.)

•Approved the first reading of a road damage ordinance.

•Approved a first reading to revise the standards for installation of pre-owned manufactured homes to concur with state guidelines.

•Approved a Beer and Wine License for Zackery Phillips who is planning to open the store in Hillsboro.

•Received financial reports on the status of the Local Option Sales Tax (LOST), Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST), and the general fund. New cuonty manager Greg Wood said that would be something the commissioners would receive at each meeting.

•Deferred taking any action on the Northeast Georgia Plan for Bicycling and Walking.

At the end of the meeting, Skip Nowetner presented information on the amount of money commissioners had spent this year for training, hotels, meals, mileage, etc., and it came to nearly $10,000, with more to be spent next week.

They also heard from Charles Forsythe about the lack of internal controls on the budget.