EMS Gets New Trainees
Deputy Sheriff Keith Burnett reported to the Glasscock County Commissioners’ Court Aug. 11 that 15 people have said they are interested in the Emergency Medical Technician training, but no one knows at this time how many will actually sign up. The classes will be Sept.16 – Jan. 28 and will be held in Garden City on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings from 6 – 10 p.m.
Emergency Program Director Christy Seidenberger sent the court an itemized list of approximate expenses for the training. The cost is expected to be $1,500 per trainee and includes tuition, books, liability insurance, criminal background check, national registry exam, state certification exam, CPR certification, immunizations and supplies. These costs are paid by the county.
Alan Dierschke said that due to the cost, Seidenberger will ask each trainee to commit to a minimum of two years’ service after certification, and require that each repay the county if he/she cannot fulfill that commitment. He said repayments could be pro-rated, or perhaps waived in the case of unavoidable circumstances.
Easement Granted for Power Line
The county court agreed to give an easement to Competitive Power Ventures (CPV) for an electric line that would run east/west along the south side of Section 9, Blk.34, T-4-S on the north side of County Road 110. Mike Hollister of Westwood Professional Services, representing CPV, said landowners on both sides of the county’s property had agreed to easements. He said the line is to be a single-pole, metal-post line which will be approximately 65 feet tall, similar to the Caprock Energy line that runs north and south several miles west of Garden City and crosses Highway 137 to the south. The proposed line would take a jagged route from a wind farm project south of Garden City to a 345-kilowatt transmission line some 28 miles to the north, Hollister said. The court voted to give a 20-foot easement, plus use of another 50 feet for construction only. Payment for the easement was not discussed in the court meeting.
Sea Containers for County Storage
The court authorized Commissioner Michael Hoch to buy two 40-foot sea containers with vents and walk-in doors. They would be located at the county barn on County Road 415 and used for storage of Warren Multer’s materials, such as chemicals and seed and for storage of courthouse material. The containers would free space upstairs in the courthouse where old documents are now stored, and allow more space for storing equipment such as lawn equipment and various supplies in the cinderblock building outside the courthouse.
Commissioners discussed a new roof for the jail building. Burnett said there are multiple leaks in the tax office, jail and the apartment. The court voted to advertise for bids on a peaked, metal roof. The existing roof is flat, which commissioners did not want again. They will also get bids on moving the air conditioning system to the ground.
The county’s medical insurance plan was approved, with no increase in premiums for employees. The county’s cost totals $516 per employee per month, and includes life and accident insurance.
The court gave Burnett permission to buy $3,500 in software from this year’s budget. The software will help the justice of the peace coordinate her files with the sheriff’s department and reduce paperwork.