RUSS board member asks county to consider joining new group

By BRYCE KELLY

Mt. Pleasant News

The Henry County Sheriff?s Office is now $225 richer with the help of a newly awarded grant.

Henry County Sheriff Rich McNamee was present during Thursday?s Henry County Board of Supervisors meeting to inform the board of the new grant, among other things. The grant is funded through the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program. McNamee intends to use the grant money to help offset medical expenses from the county jail.

McNamee has also applied for another grant after gaining the approval of the board. If awarded the Enhance Henry County Communities Foundation Grant, the sheriff plans to buy new preliminary breath testers for the entire Henry County law enforcement fleet. The grant totals $6,375.

Last on McNamee?s agenda was an update on the results of the Henry County Jail inspection that took place last Friday. The inspection, which usually takes place in mid-November, took the sheriff?s office a bit by surprise. Nonetheless, McNamee reported that the inspection produced good results overall.

?The inspector stated that our staff was doing a good job of keeping up the facilities and said that the improvements that we have made to the money management system and the security gate outside the mechanical room have been stellar,? McNamee said.

The only negative comment on the report surrounded a few inmate mattresses that seemed to be deteriorating. The inspector has recommended that the mattresses be replaced. According to McNamee, the sheriff?s office is looking into getting new mattresses ordered in the near future.

Deputy Sheriff Jason Sutton also joined McNamee during the meeting. Sutton?s business surrounded a few proposed changes to a collective bargaining agreement between Henry County and the Sheriff?s Department Bargaining Unit.

Changes that were made to the agreement include:

? The addition of clauses stating that part-time employees should not receive paid leaves or medical insurance as required by the current collective bargaining agreement.

? The sheriff, sergeant, jail administrator, communication supervisor and office manager may change an employee?s posted schedule by mutual agreement and waive the seven day advance notice requiring overtime pay.

? Appointed officials may change the wage schedule steps with initial wage placement based upon the employee?s start date.

After some discussion, the board moved to table the proposed agreement until an official proposal can be added to a future meeting?s agenda.

The board also heard from Jefferson County Supervisor, Lee Dimmitt. Due to a variety of recent issues surrounding the RUSS (Regional Utility Service Systems) organization and some of its recent projects, Dimmitt approached the board with a resolution to form a new utility management organization. One project in particular, which was meant to approve issuance of revenue bonds and interim financing for a wastewater system for the unincorporated Mooar/Powdertown community in Lee County, will not move forward at this time due to all the counties in RUSS not being able to make a unanimous vote to either approve or disapprove the project.

?We have reached an impasse with four counties within the RUSS group. Mahaska, Wapello, Washington and Van Buren counties have voted to not allow RUSS to move forward with any new systems,? said Dimmitt. ?Because of the vote of these four counties, projects in Mooar/Powdertown can?t move forward and RUSS in general cannot move forward. I personally believe that given the current situation, the best alternative would be to move forward with a new utility management organization with counties that would like to remain together as a unit.?

After a lengthy presentation and some discussion from the board, a motion was made to look at the proposed resolution that Dimmitt presented and discuss the situation further during either Tuesday?s or Thursday?s board meeting.

Lastly, Henry County disability services coordinator, Sarah Berndt, gave her monthly update. Berndt reported that her staff has been busy making the switch to a more paperless office as well as meeting with potential clients.

?We have had 10 contacts this month and determined that six of them were not eligible for services,? Berndt said. ?Overall, things are pretty much business as usual.?

Berndt also presented a six-month review report to the board and announced that HIPAA training would need to be scheduled in January for the board of supervisors and other department heads.

The next Henry County Board of Supervisors meeting will be on Tuesday, Oct. 28, at 9 a.m., in the Henry County Courthouse.