The Oglethorpe Echo
The Oglethorpe County Commissioners approved using funds from an ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) payment payment to the county from the federal government to provide supplemental payments to county employees in four different tiers.
Elected officials would not be eligible for the supplemental payment.
The supplement will be distributed later this month to the over 100 county employees. The federal program specified that such a payment was eligible from the funds paid to the county.
ARPA PREMIUM PAY PROPOSAL It was requested that the Board of Commissioners appropriate $155,000 from the general fund for a one-time employee pay supplement.
Purpose: The past 19 months have presented new challenges and risks in the lives of our workforce. We recognize the burden on employees and their families during that time. The Board of Commissioners offer this extra one-time pay supplement to employees as a small way to say thank you for your sacrifice, your contribution, and your commitment.
Chairman’s Intent: Everyone gets something. The amount should be relative to the job and risk assessment./ The calculated total cost to the BOC is $153,742. The actual amount could be different based on minor adjustments from changes between now and the time of Board consideration.
The time period considered is March 2020 through September 2021 (19 months). There are four benefit categories that are distinguished by two primary characteristics:
1) The nature of the job
2) The level of job-related exposure to the public
Category 1
•Frequent and direct exposure to the public
• Job is substantially related to life safety
• Max benefit: $2,000
• Includes jobs like medics, jailers and deputies
Category 2
• Limited exposure to the public
• Job is substantially related to life safety
• Max benefit: $1,500
• Includes jobs like roads crew, dispatch
Category 3
• Reasonably mitigated exposure to public
• Job is essential but not substantially related to life safety
• Max benefit: $1,000
• Jobs that support the courts, other indoor administrative functions
Category 4
• Eligible part-time employees
• Minimum level of employment: $3,000 total earnings in the time period
• Max benefit: $500
• Full time and actively employed only.
Those employed less than the full time period are prorated based on the number of months of full time employment.
Minimum benefit of $250 Ineligible for the benefit:
• Elected officials
• Those not actively employed as of the date of approval by the Board of Commissioners
• Active part-time employees that earned less than $3,000 in the time period
The commissioners were given two different proposals from vendors to the Oglethorpe County Shesriff’ Department for an enhancement to the E-911 system operated by the Sheriffs’ Department. Chief Deputy Jason Taft was supposed to appear before the commissioners to explain the budget request and the purpose for enhancing the system.
Commission Chair Paul noted that a conflict had arisen for Paul and that he was not going to be able to appear
The Commissioners agreed to table the discussion of the bids for 30 days or until the November meeting. Commission Andy Saxon noted that one bid was given on August 24 and was only good for 30 days and was thus already expired.
The bids obviously contained different equipment or software. One bid was approximately $75,000 with a $25,000 a year maintenance agreement. The second bid was for $27,000.
Saxon brought up again the need for re-striping the white lines on the sides of county roads. He noted that it had been done a number of years ago but that the lines had faded or disappeared and that he thought it was time to do it again. He asked Adam Nation for a progress report on that project. Nation gave him the names of several county roads that would be resurfaced and repainted with state LMIG (state DOT) money and gave an additional list that would be done with T-SPLOST money.
Saxon said he remember that all the county roads had been done at one-time before and that it might have been done as a county funded project. A discussion between the commission and Finance Director Josh Hawkins revealed that there was a good possibility that it was a state project that was only funded intermittently.
Saxon also noted that a local contractor had been awarded the bid. He said that he remembered that because the low bidder that did a lot of that type of work across the state called him to find out why he didn’t get the bid./ Commission member Tracy Norman noted that the commission was allowed the flexibility to not always accept the lowest bid. Saxon noted that he remembered that there was very little difference between the two bids. .
Chief Deputy Jason Taft was supposed to appear before the commissioners to explain a budget request and the purpose for enhancing the dispatch and 911 system. Commission Chair Paul noted that a conflict had arisen for Taft and that he was not going to be able to appear
The Commissioners agreed to table the discussion of the bids for 30 days or until the November meeting. Commission Andy Saxon noted that one bid was given on August 24 and was only good for 30 days and was thus already expired. The bids obviously contained different equipment or software. One bid was approximately $75,000 with a $25,000 a year maintenance agreement. The second bid was for $27,000.
Saxon brought up again the need for re-striping the white lines on the sides of county roads. He noted that it had been done a number of years ago but that the lines had faded or disappeared and that he thought it was time to do it again. He asked Road Superintendent Adam Nation for a progress report on that project. Nation gave him the names of several county roads that would be resurfaced and repainted with state LMIG (state DOT) money and gave an additional list that would be done with T-SPLOST money.
Saxon said he remember that all the county roads had been done at one-time before and that it might have been done as a county funded project. A discussion between the commission and Finance Director Josh Hawkins revealed that there was a good possibility that it was a state project that was only funded intermittently. Saxon also noted that a local contractor had been awarded the bid. He said that he remembered that because the low bidder that did a lot of that type of work across the state called him to find out why he didn’t get the bid.
Paul said he would prefer to delay the discussion until a later time but he informed for an enhancement to the E-911 system the board that they would need to think about the amount of involvement they wanted to have with the City of Crawford if they decided to participate with the construction of part of the Firefly Trail within the city limits of Crawford.