Commission O.K.s Budget,To Consider EMS Options
The Jasper County Commissioners voted Monday to advertise the proposed operating budget for fiscal year 2014, and have three public hearings on the proposal.
The hearings will be held at 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Monday June 17, and the third hearing will be held on Thursday, June 27, at 6 p.m. A summary of the proposed budget can be seen on page 11 of today’s paper.
The budget reflects a 1.1 percent budget increase, with the FY14 proposed total budget of $8.3 million. As advertised, it still includes 12 furlough days for county employees, but commissioners anticipate being able to cover some of those days with money currently placed in the contingency fund, and reduce the number of furlough days employees must take.
{{MORE}}
Also at Monday’s meeting, commissioners agreed on the top three candidates for the position of county manager. They include Karen E. Degges, Franklin T. Etheridge, and Douglas R. Eaves.
Ms. Degges is currently self-employed as a business consultant. She served as city administrator for the city of Baldwin from 2010 to 2012 where she handled a $5 million budget for a city of 3,280 citizens. From 1998 to 2005 she worked for the city of Gainesville public utilities as division manager of finance and administration.
She holds a bachelors degree from Ga. Tech, and did graduate work at Brenau University in Gainesville and Wake Forest University, in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Mr. Etheridge worked as city manager of LaFayette from October, 2011 until March of 2013. Prior to that he held the same position in Pembroke. He was planning manager for Jackson County from July 2005 until April 2009. He also worked in planning capacities in Habersham and Camden Counties.
A former member of the U.S. Air Force Reserves, Mr. Etheridge holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia and a masters of public administration from Troy University in Troy, Ala., (Shaw AFB Campus).
Mr. Eaves operates his own consulting firm, where he represented and advised 35 counties on Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) and service delivery negotiations. He served as county manager in Toombs County from 2008-2012, and as county administrator for Johnson County from 2002 to 2008.
Mr. Eaves holds a bachelor of arts degree in political science from the University of Georgia, and has more than 90 hours of continuing professional education credits in governmental auditing and financial operations.
The commissioners handled several routine business matters affecting the Emergency Medical Service, then started discussing how “to better serve the citizens” with the EMS service. The item was on the agenda as “proposed bidding out of services,” and two people had spoken during the public comment portion of the meeting to express their displeasure with the possibility of privatizing the service.
Commission Chairman Carl Pennamon said that it is time for the Board of Commissioners to look at what it can do to improve the service. He suggested setting up a committee with one representative each from the BOC, hospital, health department, sheriff, EMS, Hillsboro, Shady Dale, Monticello and Turtle Cove, to study options.
Mr. Pennamon said it is his 29th year on the BOC, and every two to three years there are problems with EMS. He said they want to improve services. But, he said they also want everyone to understand that there is no EMT making $8 per hour.
Commissioner Bruce Henry said he thought that if improvements need to be made, “we need to do it internally.”
Commissioner Gene Trammell said his concern is, “We don’t know what we don’t know. I’d prefer to have what the chairman is proposing…it makes sense, and we’re after improving services.”
Commissioner Craig Salmon said we do have some issues with the ambulances, and the group started discussing the fact that of the three ambulances the county owns, at any given time one or two may be down. There are some serious issues with them.
Commissioner Doug Luke said he is looking to improve services and equipment, and he wants all the options on the table.
Commissioner Salmon said the criteria for the committee should be to improve service, protect staff, save money, and look at a long term plan. Commissioner Henry expressed the need for some kind of criteria for who will serve on committee.
After much discussion, the BOC voted unanimously to form the committee to study the issue.
The BOC then began discussing the landfill. Apparently a road was cut into closed cells at the landfill, a strict violation according to the Environmental Protection Division (EPD) of the Department of Natural Resources. The commissioners were talking with their landfill engineer, and the talks became heated. Then, Chairman Pennamon insisted that a called meeting be set with the landfill engineer, operator, PWD and commission at a separate meeting.
In other action, commissioners agreed to:
•Seek Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for Information Technology (IT) service, including web hosting, e-mail, computer and software maintenance, etc.
• Approved the sheriff purchasing tasers. Also heard from the sheriff about an inmate work detail that could be used. Sheriff Donnie Pope explained that anyone supervising an inmate detail would have to be trained and would report to him.
•Approved the Wildfire cleaning contract for another year.
•Heard from Emergency Management Agency (EMA) Director Melissa Slocumb about the county’s Hazard Mitigation plan, and her proposal to hire a consultant. She is to prepare an RFP and go out for proposals.
•Approved the human resources report and the check register.
