Commissioners close book on 2018

Wednesday, January 2, 2019

In what is normally a routine meeting to close out the books for the year, the Putnam County Commissioners used their New Year’s Eve meeting on Monday to set the table for 2019.

Thanks to months of effort, the county starts the year with a new employee handbook for the first time in a number of years.

Commissioner Rick Woodall announced that a draft has finally been prepared that satisfies the various interested parties, including County Attorney Jim Ensley and county department heads.

“Gentlemen, we’ve worked for several months now for a new county handbook,” Woodall said. “We went through numerous meetings, numerous back and forth. I feel that between me and Jim and the department heads, we’ve finally come to some common ground on a new handbook.”

One of the biggest hang-ups involved changing the vacation schedule in such a way that didn’t take time away from any current employees.

“We got that ironed out to where nobody loses any vacation days from the new schedule over the old,” Woodall said. “It makes it a lot simpler, a lot clearer.”

Aware of the time Woodall and others spent on the project, Commissioner David Berry had one question for Woodall.

“Are you satisfied that it’s a vast improvement over what we had — that it’s clearer?” Berry asked.

“Yes,” Woodall replied.

“I’ve seen the revisions you’ve made and the work that you’ve put in,” Berry said. “I’m happy for you guys because that old handbook was a mish-mash.”

The new handbook was approved 3-0, with Don Walton adding his affirmative vote.

After reviewing various bids for printing the new handbook, the commissioners also voted to have it printed by Greencastle Offset Printing at a cost of $2,368 for $250 copies.

The commissioners also moved into 2019 by filling a position that has been open at the courthouse for several months.

Retired Putnam County deputy (and former sheriff) Tom Helmer will now serve as a part-time security officer at the Putnam County Courthouse.

There had been a hold-up in funding for the position following former security officer Danny Wallace’s retirement from the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department.

Though he was a road deputy, Wallace finished out his years of service at the courthouse. Following his retirement, the sheriff’s department wished to replace him on the road.

As such, it was uncertain from where the new position’s salary would come.

However, the pay will be drawn from the commissioner’s budget, with Helmer joining fellow security officer Jerry Campbell, in addition to the two court bailiffs.

The commissioners also reviewed the first draft of the Economic Development Income Tax (EDIT) Plan for 2019.

Of the estimated $1,057,200 that is likely to be available in 2019, only three line items are likely to see an increase.

The draft includes $16,572 for West Central Economic Development, up from $10,500 in 2018, as well as $50,000 for the Greencastle/Putnam County Economic Development Center, up from $45,000.

Additionally, People Pathways has requested $10,500, up from $9,000.

Other line items on the 2019 EDIT Plan include $15,000 for the Putnam County Senior Center, $31,291.25 for the Edgelea project annual payment, $10,000 for the Edgelea debt contingency, $5,000 for Rural Transit, $10,000 for Beyond Homeless, $10,000 for the Putnam County Emergency Food Pantry and $250,000 for the Courthouse Annex project.

The remainder of the EDIT funds will go to the warchest.

The EDIT Plan is set for approval during the Tuesday, Jan. 22 meeting of the commissioners.

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