Commission Honors Employees for Hard Work

The Jasper County Commissioners Monday honored the employees and volunteers who worked during the recent ice and snow events to keep the roads open and people safe while responding to fires, downed trees and wires, accidents and more.

Proclamations were presented to (left to right) Sheriff Donnie Pope, Emergency Management Agency (EMA) and 911 Director Melissa Slocumb, Fire Chief Jarret Slocumb, Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Director James Emory and Public Works Department (PWD) Director Preston Campbell.

Sheriff Pope was the only one who spoke, but expressed the sentiments of all. He thanked the commissioners for the proclamation and said it would not be possible to do the job they did without the good folks working for these department heads. He said everyone worked together, showing unity throughout the county to help survive these weather events. He spoke of the dedication of his folks, and how they jumped in and did all that was needed during the time.

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Commissioners also proclaimed March 28, 2014 Effie Banks day in Jasper County. “Miss Effie” will be 103 years old on March 28, and the commissioners wanted to honor her for her contributions to the county and being a great citizen. “Miss Effie” was not able to attend the meeting but District 2 Commissioner Bruce Henry said he would get the proclamation to her.

Before the regular meeting where the proclamations were given out, the commissioners held a work session on financials, reviewing mid-year numbers for all departments. The county is now on a fiscal year, July 1 to June 30, so December 31 is halfway through the year.

Basically, all departments were on track to be on budget for the year. There is concern that EMS revenues are down, and County Manager Karen Degges said she has ordered an outside audit to try to figure out why. The county implemented rate increases on July 1, so revenues should be somewhat higher than they are.

The courts, which do not take furlough days, are close to their budgeted amount, and Ms. Degges said they would have to watch their budgets closely. (County employees were budgeted for 12 furlough days, but the first three were eliminated. Therefore, most county employees will take nine furlough [unpaid] days in the 2014 fiscal year. The county cannot dictate how constitutional officers spend their budgeted funds.)

Also, PWD employees have been working on the landfill, so a budget amendment was required to transfer monies paid to them from the PWD budget to the landfill budget.

During the regular meeting, commissioners voted to meet again to determine a financing option for the ambulance they agreed to purchase recently. The ambulance is ready for delivery, but at Monday’s meeting, only one lease option was available. Ms. Degges expects to have more lease options before the end of the week.

Once the new ambulance is in the county, a current ambulance will be sent off to be re-boxed. That means the county will purchase a new chassis and the old “box” will be refurbished and put on the new chassis, making it like a new ambulance.

Also, commissioners approved for Fire Chief Jarret Slocumb to go

out to bid on a fire rescue pumper. There are 50 pages of bid specs on the vehicle. Mr. Slocumb will come back to the commisssioners when the bids are in.

Commissioners learned about improvements planned for the animal control building, all of which will be paid for with a donation from an individual. The kennels will be moved against the walls, where the dogs can let themselves into their runs when their “doggie doors” aren’t locked. The improvements will make the shelter more efficient, as the animals will not have to be taken out on leashes and brought back in the same way.

Commissioners spent considerable time discussing a changed to the current personnel policy-political activity. The polity read, “No county employee shall hold a public elected office except as a member of the Board of Education.”

Staff recommended changing it to “No county employee shall hold a public elected office subject to, or without the approval of the County Manager and the Board of Commissioners.

The situation is that the county coroner, Michelle Haddock, is a certified medic, and would like to be able to work part time. The coroner position is only part-time, and she would like to be able to work part-time as a medic.

In addition, a board of education election is coming up, and a county employee may be interested in running for the BOE.

After much discussion, commissioners voted 3-2 to change the policy to read :NO County employee shall hold a public, elected office.”

Therefore, not only can Ms. Haddock not work as a medic, if a county employee wants to run for school board, he or she would have to resign his or her position with the county.

Commission Chair Gene Trammell likened the situation to “getting in a fight with a skunk—either way you lose.”

When the vote was taken, Commissioners Carl Pennamon, Doug Luke, and Bruce Henry voted for the change, and Commissioners Trammell and Craig Salmon voted against.

Commissioners discussed impending work on the Post Road bridges, and agreed that road closures should be publicized as soon as they are known. Three bridges on Post Road need repair or replacement and commissioners think that the road will have to be closed for the work to be done.

Commissioner Luke said he wants the engineer to look at the Pitts Chapel Road bridge and come up with an action plan, even if it is a ways down the road. He said at the very least the county needs an estimate on what it would cost to fix it.

During the citizen comments portion of the meeting, Mary Patrick told the commissioners they campaigned on transparency, but immediately went the other way. She then outlined several situations where she alleges illegal meetings were held. She also said that open record requests are met with threats, delays and allegations. She said furthermore that there have been at least four letters from the attorney general to the county attorney regrading sunshine law discrepancies.

Mrs. Patrick handed out a flyer about Sunshine Week which will be observed this year, March 16-22, and encouraged the commissioners to operate in the open.

Charles Forsythe spoke against changing the wording of the personnel policy to make the decision be up to the county manager and commissioners.

Gay Morrison brought a tape recording of the noise she says she hears at her house 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A neighbor raises roosters, and they crow nonstop, she said and indicated by the recording. She wanted teh commissioners to do something about it.

At the end of the meeting, commissioners discussed what options Ms. Morrison had, such as enforcing covenants, or suing the property owner. They also discussed how difficult it is to enforce the noise ordinance, and how the sheriff and zoning officer had been to the property and did not feel they could make a case.

The property is zoned agricultural, limiting what actions can be taken.