The Bradley County Commission is still struggling with the animal services issue, and some commissioners are having second thoughts about a sizable pay raise for members of Bradley County Fire and Rescue.
More discussion is planned about Bradley County’s plan for dealing with stray animals. Commissioner Milan Blake said at the budget proposal meeting on last Thursday, $80,000 was planned for the SPCA which deals with animals for Bradley County.
The budget begins on July, 2015 and ends on June 30, 2016. The contract with SPCA, however, ends on Feb. 28, 2016. The amount paid for its service will need to be amended for eight versus 12 months until a new contract is entered into, said Commissioner Blake.
Another problem he noted is that citizens who live in Cleveland, pay for animal control services twice because the city of Cleveland has its own separate shelter and Cleveland citizens are not allowed to use SPCA, despite paying for it.
Many on the board agreed with Commissioner Dan Rawls and his regret about a pay increase that the commission voted to give the county firefighters. The raises amount to 31 percent for first-year firefighters, an $8,000-$9,000 increase over the $24,000 they agreed to when hired. Administrative assistants would also receive a 26 percent raise. The vote needs to be reconsidered, he said, because it will put the county in a hole and require a five-cent tax increase. Pay raises are fine when they can be found within the budget, but not to put the responsibility on taxpayers with a tax rise, he said.
When voted on, the concept was to retain the officers, but Commissioner Rawls said that retention in Cleveland is similar to that of the national average. He suggested a contract when hiring and a handbook to spell out what is allowed. This is another matter that needs to be considered immediately because the budget is being created now, he said.
Commissioner Charlotte Peak said, “I agree 100 percent. Our decision was based on emotion with 100 firefighters sitting before us at the meeting." It sounded like a good idea at the time, she said, but raises that large in one year are “ludicrous.”Vice Chairman Jeff Yarber suggested increases based on certifications, and Commissioner Howard Thompson said he is for incentives. It costs around $10,000 to train a firefighter, said Commissioner Blake, and, if they leave, the cost of training should be prorated and charged to that employee.
Another issue concerning pay for county employees will be taken up at the commission meeting May 18. Commissioner Terry Caywood told the board that it is unfair for employees who work on holidays to receive standard pay. Most offices are closed those days; however, emergency personnel such as the firefighers, the sheriff’s department and ambulance service are open. The standard pay is offset by those workers getting a day off at a later date,,said Vice Chairman Yarber.
The sheriff’s department has made two requests that will be considered by the commission. Defibrillator life-saving devices are needed at the courthouse where they can be easily accessible. These are already carried in the sheriff’s vehicles. Ms. Peak suggested finding $1,225, the cost for one device, before voting on it.
The second request from the sheriff’s department is to change the policy concerning E-cigarettes. It was said that the change would help correction officers by keeping down trouble because of the calming effect of nicotine. The equipment would be sold to inmates and the companies that provide the equipment to the sheriff’s department would pay for the privilege of being the supplier. The additional revenue made from the sales would be another benefit to the department.
Ms. Peak told the commissioners that the county needs to adopt the federally-mandated stormwater update, that was last done in 2005. If not adopted by June 1, she said the county can be fined per day. She said this would only affect new construction and contractors. Dan Rawls added that the EPA mandates through the state, which in turn makes the requirements on the counties.
The next voting session of the Bradley County Commission will be Monday, May 18, at noon.