Batla Hired as Emergency Director


The Glasscock County commissioners’ court hired Kenny Batla May 14 as the county’s Emergency Program Director at a salary of $500 per month. There were no other applicants for the job. The job description includes: inventorying and ordering EMS supplies, updating database, transmitting statistical reports to Texas Department of Health and Department of Epidemiology, attending Regional Advisory Commission meetings and completing necessary paperwork for RAC grants, meeting with medical director for quality assurance and protocol updates, addressing problems within EMS department, keeping maintenance and licensing records on ambulances, organizing community awareness events, representing EMS at commissioners’ court meetings, analyzing EMS system and assisting in formulating improvements.

Batla will update the county’s Emergency Management Plan, which everyone at the meeting seemed to agree is a disaster in itself. County Judge Wilburn Bednar suggested, in that regard, that Batla meet with local sheriff’s office personnel and with Al Stiefer, who is experienced in emergency communications and management.

Bednar said that he would handle the county’s 911 addressing.

            The court agreed to Mitchell Jansa’s suggestion that one $525 pager be purchased and tried to see if it provides better range than the current $325 pagers. If it is appreciably better, the EMS unit would get one more. Jansa said two EMT’s  (Allan Jansa and Harold Hoelscher) sometimes miss pages because they live too far away for consistent signals from current pagers.

GC Bank Again County’s Depository

Glasscock County Bank, a branch of First National Bank of Sterling City, submitted the only bid to be the county’s depository, and the commissioners accepted it. Bids are taken every two years.

County Treasurer Alan Dierschke was given the court’s approval to gradually switch from certificates of deposit to a Treasury bill system for the county’s funds on deposit with the local bank. The interest rate would be the 13-week T-bill rate on the last day of the previous month, minus 25 points. A T-bill rate of 3.67 less 0.25 would equal a county rate of 3.42 percent. Other county officials’ checking accounts are on the bank’s NOW rate plus one percent. If the county borrows money, the rate is the New York Prime less one percent. Dierschke and bankers Roger Williams and Scott Long agreed that the T-bill procedure would be best for the county over the long term, providing more flexibility and liquidity, no penalty for early withdrawal and better ability to take advantage of changing interest rates.

New Subdivision May Connect to Water Supply

Steve Sturtz told the court both he and Dale Hillger are interested in connecting their houses to the community water supply. In addition, he said Hillger is considering developing a subdivision of approximately 10 houses with acreage on property east of Garden City and Hillger would want it connected also. Commissioner Michael Hoch said the men would need to build a connecting water line and install meters, all to the county’s specifications, then give it all to the Garden City Water System, which would maintain it. Hoch was to get the specifications from an engineer.


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